University of Zurich Study Questions Traditional Classification of Uranus and Neptune as Ice Giants and Suggests Interiors Rich in Water or Rock

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 16/12/2025 at 10:49

Urano pode ser um gigante de gelo (à esquerda) ou um gigante rochoso (à direita), dependendo das hipóteses do modelo. Crédito da imagem: Instituto Keck de Estudos Espaciais / Chuck Carter.

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Research from the University of Zurich Uses Agnostic Physical Models to Reassess the Internal Composition of Uranus and Neptune, Highlighting Water or Rock-Rich Scenarios and New Explanations for Complex Magnetic Fields

A new study from the University of Zurich indicates that Uranus and Neptune may not be predominantly icy, applying agnostic physical models that suggest internal compositions rich in water or rock, with direct implications for magnetic fields and future scientific missions.

Researchers from the University of Zurich claim that classifying Uranus and Neptune as ice giants may be overly simplistic, as both planets are still poorly understood from a structural and compositional perspective.

“The classification of ice giants is too simplistic, as Uranus and Neptune are still not well understood,” said Luca Morf, a PhD student at the University of Zurich, commenting on the limitations of traditional models.

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Magnetic Fields and Internal Layers

The study also offers new interpretations for the unusual magnetic fields of Uranus and Neptune, which differ significantly from the dipolar field observed on Earth.

While the Earth presents well-defined North and South magnetic poles, Uranus and Neptune exhibit more complex fields with multiple detected poles.

“Our models have what we call ionic water layers, which generate magnetic dynamos in locations that explain the non-dipolar magnetic fields observed,” Helled said.

According to the results, the magnetic field of Uranus would originate from a greater depth than that of Neptune, indicating relevant structural differences between the two planets.

Despite the advancements, the authors acknowledge uncertainties associated with the behavior of materials under extreme pressures and temperatures in the planetary core, a topic still poorly understood by current physics.

“This may affect our results,” Morf stated, emphasizing that limitations in knowledge about exotic conditions remain a relevant challenge for the field.

Even with these uncertainties, the results challenge decades-old assumptions and guide future research in materials science under extreme planetary conditions.

<p“Both Uranus and Neptune may be rocky giants or ice giants, depending on the model's assumptions,” said Helled.

According to the researcher, current data is insufficient to clearly distinguish the scenarios, reinforcing the need for dedicated missions to both planets.

The study was published this week in the scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, broadening the debate on the true nature of the outer giants of the Solar System.

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University of Zurich Study Questions Traditional Classification of Uranus and Neptune as Ice Giants and Suggests Interiors Rich in Water or Rock

Research from the University of Zurich Uses Agnostic Physical Models to Reassess the Internal Composition of Uranus and Neptune, Highlighting Water or Rock-Rich Scenarios and New Explanations for Complex Magnetic Fields

Magnetic Fields and Internal Layers

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University of Zurich Study Questions Traditional Classification of Uranus and Neptune as Ice Giants and Suggests Interiors Rich in Water or Rock

Research from the University of Zurich Uses Agnostic Physical Models to Reassess the Internal Composition of Uranus and Neptune, Highlighting Water or Rock-Rich Scenarios and New Explanations for Complex Magnetic Fields

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Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

A giant brown band visible from space, approximately 8,850 kilometers long, connected Africa to America in the Atlantic Ocean, and satellites revealed that it is neither land nor pollution, but the largest accumulation of seaweed in the world, which broke records in 2025.

Workers were opening a modern road in Dover when they found, 6 meters below the asphalt, a 3,500-year-old boat made of stitched oak and plant fibers.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

In just one cast, fishermen are surprised to capture 14,096 mullets in Bombinhas and close a historic season with 58,000 fish; scene recorded in the Santa Catarina paradise marks the last day of the 2026 season.

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