Water on Jupiter's moon closer to surface than thought: study

[Still Waters]

Europa has long been a candidate for finding life in our solar system due to its vast ocean, which is widely thought to contain liquid water—a key ingredient for life.

There is a problem: the ocean is predicted to be buried 25-30 kilometers (15-17 miles) beneath the moon's icy shell.

However water could be closer to the surface than previously thought, according to new research published in the journal Nature Communications.

The finding came partly by chance, when geophysicists studying an ice sheet in Greenland watched a presentation about Europa and spotted a feature they recognized.

https://phys.org/news/2022-04-jupiter-moon-closer-surface-thought.html

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-29458-3

[quiXilver]

Science continually reaffirms one thing.

That our first assumptions about any condition, are seldom correct.

Hence science is about continuing to question and follow the answers to more clarity.  I hope to be alive when they learn more about this fascinating moon and it's oceans under ice.

Edited April 23, 2022 by quiXilver