What specific volatile ices primarily constitute the hot, dense fluid mantle surrounding the core of Uranus and Neptune?
Answer
Water, methane, and ammonia.
The interior structure of the Ice Giants, Uranus and Neptune, features a massive mantle layer surrounding a small rocky core. This mantle is composed of a mix of volatile compounds that, under the planet's extreme internal conditions—high temperatures and immense pressures—exist as a dense, superheated fluid rather than brittle solids. The key components forming this unique fluid layer are water, methane, and ammonia. These substances, which are gases in the cooler outer atmospheres, are forced into dense, fluid states deep inside the planet due to the extreme physical environment.
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