Icy Worlds of the Solar System

This book focuses on the occurrence and significance of water ice, and ices formed by other materials, in our solar system. It considers implications of the reservoirs of water ice for the presence of life, and habitability by human explorers who may venture to these distant worlds in the future.

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Earth is the only planet known to have liquid water, and water ice has been present over parts of the Earth for much of its history. Scientists have only recently come to understand how widespread the presence of ice is in our solar system. Deposits of water ice may exist in unexpected places, such as in the polar craters of Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun. Other ices, such as methane ice and nitrogen ice, abound in our solar system. This book focuses on the occurrence and significance of ices, and considers implications of the reservoirs of water ice for the presence of life elsewhere in our solar system, and for habitability by human explorers who may venture to these distant worlds in the future. This accessible text will be of interest to students and professionals in planetary science, geology, and related areas.