Sometimes fictional worlds can hide a lot of reality behind them. When Frank Herbertauthor Dunehe figured out what it would look like Arrakiswas based mainly on Oregon Coast Sand Dunes. However, it cannot be denied that it also bears a strong resemblance to Mars. For this reason, some scientists have dedicated themselves to looking at it as a real planet to see how realistic their descriptions are.
For example, recently a group of scientists from Universities of Bristol and Sheffield developed a climate model capable of predicting changes in the climate of Arrakis, taking into account Herbert’s descriptions in Dune.
They concluded that it would indeed be a planet inhabited. But very not very comfortable live. In fact, it would have been more comfortable earlier, as the author describes Dune. This is interesting because the same research is actually being carried out to search for potentially habitable exoplanets. Arrakis, as depicted in the films and novel, would not be one of the best candidates. But at least if it existed, it would be possible to live in it.
The real climate of Arrakis
Herbert describes that in the past, Arrakis was an ocean planet. Most of its surface was covered water, even more than on Earth. However, a disaster occurred that led to desertification of the planet.
There is some water left, but the species is invasive, sand trout, finished her off by taking her underground. This species does not exist. However, like many other phenomena in Dune, it very well describes the nature of real life. invasive species, When introduced outside their natural habitat, they can lead to the destruction of ecosystems by depleting resources or displacing native species.
In this case, the invasive species is the sandworm, and the trout are larva which, instead of an egg, is born from a dead worm. The water is toxic to the worm, but trout can remove it from the surface. Moreover, when it becomes a worm, it promotes the formation of more sand, so it is closely related to desert landscape.
So how could this climate change, first due to the disaster and then with the introduction of sandworms? According to these scientists’ climate model, temperatures on Arrakis were much more comfortable in the past. It’s because oceans create humidity in the air. This humidity contributes to the formation of clouds and, as a result, precipitation. But, in addition, natural halogens also enter the atmosphere from the oceans. These are elements such as chlorine or iodine. It is known that as a result of the reaction in the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, their levels decrease, thereby reducing global warming.
Sudden change in temperature
Therefore, as long as there is water, the temperature will be more comfortable. Actually on Arrakis Dune temperature 70°Cwhereas in the past they are at their worst 45°C.
What should he do Dune with exoplanets?
All this, in fact, is still fiction. However there may be some kind of Arrakis outside the plot Dune.
When scientists search habitable exoplanetss are usually determined by its size, preferably similar to that of Earth, the presence of an atmosphere, and its location relative to the star around which it orbits. It must be within the so-called habitable zone. That is, close enough that the water remains liquid, but not so far away that it freezes.
In the case of oceanic planets, which have a lot of water on their surface, this habitable area is smaller. All this must be taken into account. Moreover, once the exoplanet becomes better known, it could be subjected to a climate model similar to what these scientists did with Arrakis. This way, you can find out whether it will be habitable and comfortable to live in. After all, our planet will remain habitable for a long time, but we are making it less and less comfortable. What matters is stop progression; but meanwhile the measurements with other planets should be more or less the same.
Source: Hiper Textual
