Jupiter’s moon Europa shows signs of liquid water

Researchers have revealed new information about the geology of Europa, described by NASA as one of the most promising places in the Solar System for the search for extraterrestrial life.

Striking Similarities

It has long been suspected thatEuropeone of 79 moons orbiting the planet Jupiter, harbors a vast ocean of salt water beneath its thick shell of ice, measuring 20 to 30 kilometers thick. A new study by researchers at thestanford university suggests that water in a liquid state is also present inside this frozen crust itself.

The shell ofEurope is dotted with double ridges almost symmetrical, located on either side of a shallow hollow, which can be several hundred kilometers long. And it turns out that these reliefs turn out to be surprisingly similar to those observed within the ice sheet of the north-west of the Greenland.

Using surface elevation and radar sounding data, the team determined that the double ridge of the Greenland was formed following the gradual refreezing of pockets of water located near the surface of this thick layer, being pressurized and having finally fractured the ice.

Recently detailed in the review NatureCommunicationsthis finding implies that a similar mechanism may also be responsible for the double ridges ofEurope, although some differences exist. While at Greenlandthe shallow pockets of liquid water are formed as a result of the infiltration of surface meltwater, on the natural satellite of Jupiterthis element would come from its underground ocean (see header image).

An underestimated influence

According to the study authors, such work suggests that shallow liquid water may play a greater role in forming the surface ofEurope than previously estimated.

” If this mechanism controls the formation of double ridges on Europa, their ubiquity on its surface implies that liquid water is and has been a ubiquitous feature within this fragile shell of ice. “, valued Riley Culberglead author of the study.

The mission Europa Clipper of the NASA Due to launch in October 2024, we’ll no doubt learn a lot more in the coming decades about the geology of this intriguing moon and its potential to harbor life.