New research suggests active seafloor volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Europa. Are they linked to life? The planned Europa Clipper mission might provide answers.
According to a new study, Jupiter’s moon Europa may have active volcanoes located deep underwater. There is a lot of evidence that Europa has a gigantic ocean that’s located between its rocky interior and its icy crust. The new study looked closely at the possibility of there being enough heat inside of the moon to. Read more »
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Hints of Hidden Volcanoes Deep Inside Europa Boost Its Chances of Hosting Alien Life
27 MAY 2021
Jupiter s ice-encrusted moon Europa is increasingly looking like the best place in the Solar System to search for extraterrestrial life.
New modeling suggests that the rocky mantle, deep below the thick ice and salty ocean, could actually be hot enough for volcanic activity. Moreover, it could have been this hot over most of its 4.5-billion year lifespan.
The finding has direct implications for the possibility of life lurking on Europa s seafloor. Our findings provide additional evidence that Europa s subsurface ocean may be an environment suitable for the emergence of life, said geophysicist Marie Běhounková of Charles University in Czechia.
A recent study suggests that active volcanoes may lurk on the seabed of the 1,940-mile-wide (3,120 kilometers) Europa, which harbors a huge ocean of salty water beneath its icy shell.