Jupiter’s moon Europa has a surface composed of ice, filled with craters and crevices, hinting at a hidden ocean. A new study suggests this ocean likely receives nutrients. They come through “drips” of dense, saline ice falling from the surface.
Researchers modelled a Europa-like ice shell. They discovered that salt-rich surface patches become denser and weaker. These patches eventually detach and sink through the shell. This process can happen over geological timescales. It takes as little as 30,000 years in fractured ice. It may take 5 to 10 million years in intact shells.
The sinking ice carries down oxidants and nutrients produced on the surface, feeding Europa’s hidden ocean. This recurring process could make the ocean more habitable, increasing the prospects of extraterrestrial life.
NASA’s Europa Clipper, launched in 2024, will reach the moon in 2030 to study the ice shell and ocean. The mission will provide more insights into Europa’s habitability and potential for life.
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