04-04-2019, 03:50 AM
Not just super-Earths; Venus is thought to have a similar problem. In that case, it's no vulcanism to speak of for half a billion years and then a total resurfacing.
This may also be one possible reason for Arrakis-like desert planets to be unlikely. Why? Because the presence of water in sedimentary rocks is highly important for plate tectonics. So there would be little vulcanism, and that means eroded continents and little water flow even considering the low water levels.
This may also be one possible reason for Arrakis-like desert planets to be unlikely. Why? Because the presence of water in sedimentary rocks is highly important for plate tectonics. So there would be little vulcanism, and that means eroded continents and little water flow even considering the low water levels.