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| Salt could be the key to life on Earth and beyond |
The composition of the atmosphere, especially the abundance of greenhouse gases, affects the Earth's climate. The research team led by Stephanie Olson of Purdue University (USA) has found that the presence of salt in seawater can also have a big impact on the habitability of Earth and other planets.
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The team used a climate model to investigate the climates of worlds with varying amounts of salt dissolved in seawater to predict that saltier oceans tend to lead to warmer climates, due to that could support a planet's ability to host life.
This study focuses specifically on how the amount of salt dissolved in seawater affects the planet's climate. The team's findings are that saltier oceans tend to lead to warmer climates. This salt may have been a key ingredient for early Earth life in the distant past, when the sun was less bright. The finding could also apply to the habitability of other planets, potentially allowing life outside our solar system to exist further away from its host star than previously thought.