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Paludial Subtype

Humid Gaian worlds with less than 50% ocean cover

Erntedankefest
Image from LordOther
Erntedankfest, a Gaian-type planet with small seas but moderately high levels of water vapour
Gaian Type planet. Warm worlds with a relatively high water vapour content in the atmosphere, but with relatively small and shallow seas. Water covers 25 to 50% of the surface. These worlds are often quite mature, with extensive continental crust coverage and active plate tectonics. Often these worlds have passed through earlier phases where the oceans were more extensive, but the local star has increased in luminosity and the water has partially evaporated.

Because they are relatively warm, paludial worlds have moderately high levels of water vapour in the atmosphere. In contrast campian and tundral worlds do not have such humid atmospheres, and are generally drier despite having a similar amount of sea/ocean coverage.

Low topography and a mixing of land and water areas lead to an oceanic climate. These worlds often see high amounts of precipitation globally, and vegetation is typically wide-spread if present.

Examples Argelander, Erntedankfest, Daedalus (Zeta1 Reticuli III)


Paludial subtype
Image from Steve Bowers
Argelander, a lifeless Paludial subtype world (which has now been terraformed)

 
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Planetology
 
Development Notes
Text by John M. Dollan
Initially published on 20 November 2008.

 
 
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