Sea salt on Jupiter’s moon Europa
Sea salt on Jupiters moon Europa
by Tom Edathikunnel in » Science Wire, Space
Laboratory experiments have lead to new information about the chemical composition of the mysterious dark material in the long, dark fractures on the surface of Europa, a large moon of Jupiter. Researchers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) mimicked conditions on Europas surface. They now say that the dark material is discolored salt, likely sea salt from below the moons icy crust. The journal Geological Research Letters published their study on May 15, 2015.
The scientists say this new insight is important in considering whether this icy moon might be hospitable for extraterrestrial life. The life question is a key one for Europa, since this world is believed to have a liquid ocean beneath its crust. The presence of sea salt on Europas surface suggests the ocean is interacting with its rocky seafloor.
Scientists have been intensely curious about Europa since Galileo discovered it in 1610. In recent years, theyve puzzled over the dark material coating the long, linear fractures on Europas observable surface. The material was associated with young terrain on this moon of Jupiter, suggesting that it had erupted from within Europa.
However, the chemical composition of the dark material remained elusive, until now.
Europa is immersed radiation from Jupiters powerful magnetic field, causing high-powered electrons to slam into the moons surface. Hand and his team created a laboratory test that mimicked the conditions of Europas temperature, pressure, and radiation exposure. They tested a variety of samples including common salt sodium chloride and salt water in a vacuum chamber at Europas chilly surface temperature of minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 173 Celsius). They also bombarded the samples with an electron beam to imitate Jupiters influence.
After several hours a time period corresponding to over a century on Europa, the researchers said the salt samples were observed to go from white to a yellowish brown, the color similar to the features on the icy moon. ...
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