'Alien life is possible': Jupiter's moon Europa could harbour extraterrestrial organisms in hydrothermal vents
Produced by: Tarun Mishra
New Insights from Computer Simulations
Recent simulations suggest that low-temperature hydrothermal vents could endure on the ocean floors of moons like Europa for billions of years, raising possibilities for extraterrestrial life.
Significance of Hydrothermal Vents
Hydrothermal vents are crucial as potential habitats for life, providing both chemical energy and heat, similar to their role in Earth's oceans.
Challenges of Modeling Icy Moons
Previous studies primarily focused on high-temperature vents (black smokers) powered by volcanic activity, posing uncertainties about their sustainability on moons lacking a hot core.
Earth's Low-Temperature Vent Comparison
Unlike Earth's dominant high-temperature vents, low-temperature vent systems are extensive, equivalent in water discharge to all rivers and responsible for a significant portion of Earth's heat loss.
Study by UC Santa Cruz Scientists
Researchers from UC Santa Cruz modelled the proliferation of low-temperature vents on Europa and Enceladus, basing their simulations on Earth's northwestern Pacific Ocean circulation system.
Circulation Dynamics on Icy Moons
The modelled vents involve cool seawater sinking into seabed rock via extinct volcanic structures, heating up over a considerable distance before resurfacing with altered chemistry.
Potential for Sustained Conditions
Findings indicate that moderate-warm vents could persist across various conditions on Europa and Enceladus, facilitated by low gravity allowing for warmer vent temperatures.
Implications for Alien Life
The study proposes that these low-temperature hydrothermal systems could sustain over long timescales on ocean worlds, potentially creating conditions suitable for the emergence and sustenance of alien life forms.
Publication and Future Research
Published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, the research underscores the potential of Europa's vents as a target for future Astro biological exploration missions.