Alien Seas [electronic resource] : Oceans in Space /
Carroll, Michael.editor.
Lopes, Rosaly.editor.
In the early days of planetary observation, oceans were thought to exist in all corners of the Solar System. Carbonated seas percolated beneath the clouds of Venus. Features on the Moon's surface were given names such as "the Bay of Rainbows" and the "Ocean of Storms." With the advent of modern telescopes and spacecraft exploration these ancient concepts of planetary seas have been replaced by the reality of something even more exotic. Alien Seas serves up the current research, past beliefs, and new theories to offer a rich array of the "seas" on other worlds. It is organized by location and by the material composing the oceans under discussion, with expert authors penning chapters on their  specialty. Each chapter features new original art depicting alien seas, as well as the latest ground-based and spacecraft images. With the contributors as guides, readers can explore the wild seas of Jupiter's watery satellite Europa, believed similar in composition to battery acid. Saturn's planet-sized moon Titan seems to be subject to methane or ethane rainfall that become vast lakes and, perhaps, seasonal oceans. Titan and Mars have seas of sand, large shifting dunes covering huge plains, while Venus may have 'oceans' of frozen lava. The possibilities are excitingly endless and ripe for exploration. Contributors: Kevin Baines Jeffrey Bennett James Cameron Michael Carroll Mona Delitsky David Grinspoon Rosaly Lopes Christopher P. McKay Karl Mitchell Robert Pappalardo Timothy Parker Jani Radebaugh John Spencer.
Description based upon print version of record.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Acknowledgments -- Foreword by James Cameron -- 1. Introduction: Oceans on Earth and Elsewhere by Michael Carroll -- Chapter 2. Chasing the Lost Oceans of Venus by David Grinspoon -- Chapter 3. Oceans on Mars by Timothy Parker -- Chapter 4. Seas of Molten Rock by Rosaly Lopes -- Chapter 5. Jupiter's Water Worlds: Water Lurks Beneath the Surfaces of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto by Robert Pappalardo -- Chapter 6. Oceans At The Outer Limits: Enceladus, Outer Moons, Pluto by John Spencer -- Chapter 7. Sand Seas of the Solar System by Jani Radebaugh -- Chapter 8. Exotic Seas: Titan's Methane/Ethane Lakes by Karl Mitchell -- Chapter 9. The Seas of Saturn by Kevin Baines and Mona Delitsky -- 10. The Alien Seas of Earth: Astrobiological Implications by Chris McKay -- Chapter 11. Seas of the Milky Way by Jeffrey Bennett -- About the Authors.
In the early days of planetary observation, oceans were thought to exist in all corners of the Solar System. Carbonated seas percolated beneath the clouds of Venus. Features on the Moon's surface were given names such as "the Bay of Rainbows" and the "Ocean of Storms." With the advent of modern telescopes and spacecraft exploration these ancient concepts of planetary seas have been replaced by the reality of something even more exotic. Alien Seas serves up the current research, past beliefs, and new theories to offer a rich array of the "seas" on other worlds. It is organized by location and by the material composing the oceans under discussion, with expert authors penning chapters on their  specialty. Each chapter features new original art depicting alien seas, as well as the latest ground-based and spacecraft images. With the contributors as guides, readers can explore the wild seas of Jupiter's watery satellite Europa, believed similar in composition to battery acid. Saturn's planet-sized moon Titan seems to be subject to methane or ethane rainfall that become vast lakes and, perhaps, seasonal oceans. Titan and Mars have seas of sand, large shifting dunes covering huge plains, while Venus may have 'oceans' of frozen lava. The possibilities are excitingly endless and ripe for exploration. Contributors: Kevin Baines Jeffrey Bennett James Cameron Michael Carroll Mona Delitsky David Grinspoon Rosaly Lopes Christopher P. McKay Karl Mitchell Robert Pappalardo Timothy Parker Jani Radebaugh John Spencer.
Space sciences.
Astronomy.
Planetology.
Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics, Space Exploration and Astronautics).
Popular Science in Astronomy.
Planetology.