Which materials, besides hydrogen and helium, are found in higher proportions locked up as ices in Uranus and Neptune?
Answer
Oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur locked in ices.
Uranus and Neptune are classified as ice giants, and their elemental composition differs markedly from the Sun or the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn. While they still contain significant amounts of hydrogen and helium, they host higher proportions of heavier elements. These heavier elements—specifically oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur—are predominantly found combined into various forms of ices under the frigid conditions prevalent in the outer Solar System. This contrasts with the inner rocky worlds which are dominated by silicates and metals, and the primary gas giants where hydrogen likely exists in a dense, liquid metallic state deep inside.
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