Space & Astronomy

Icy plate tectonics discovered on Europa

By T.K. Randall
September 8, 2014 ·  8 comments

A look below the surface of Europa's icy crust. Image Credit: Britney Schmidt/Dead Pixel VFX Considered to be one of the best places to look for evidence of life beyond our own planet, Europa consists of a thick icy shell encompassing what many scientists believe to be a deep ocean of liquid water where micro-organisms could potentially thrive.

Now the case for life on the Jovian moon has been strengthened even further by the discovery of what appear to be tectonics involving large sections of the ice sliding underneath one another.The revelation was based on a new analysis of images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft. By treating the surface ice as a huge jigsaw puzzle, researchers were able to piece together how large chunks of ice were cycling downwards from the surface to the ocean deep below the crust.

The discovery holds significance in the hunt for life because this mechanism could allow minerals and organic molecules from comets to make their way down from the surface in to the liquid ocean underneath. Previously it had been assumed that Europa's icy shell was stopping any interaction between the two environments and that they were effectively sealed off from one another.

Source: New Scientist | Comments (8)

Tags: Europa, Jupiter