How Europa's icy shell could help life thrive below
Scientists think Jupiter's moon Europa might be more welcoming to life than we thought.
A new study suggests a process called "crustal delamination" could move important chemicals from the surface down into its massive hidden ocean—possibly making it a better place for microbes to survive.
What is crustal delamination?
Basically, salty patches of Europa's surface ice get heavy and fragile, then sink through the shell like an elevator for nutrients.
The study found this process is quick and could deliver nutrients to the ocean, acting as a potential conveyor or recycling mechanism that helps mix the ocean and surface over time.
Why does this matter for life?
Europa's ocean doesn't get sunlight, so any potential life there needs chemicals from above.
This nutrient delivery system could solve a big problem for tiny organisms trying to survive in such a dark, extreme place—making Europa one of our best bets for finding alien microbes.
NASA's next steps
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft (launched in 2024) will arrive in 2030 to check all this out firsthand.
It'll fly by Europa 50 times, scanning its icy crust and searching for signs that these nutrient highways really exist—and maybe clues about life beyond Earth.