NASA: Ice ocean Europe appeared close in composition to the Earth – Sight

Ice ocean on Europa, Jupiter’s moon, turned out to be similar to their earthly brethren in chemical composition and physical properties, which increases the chances for the existence of life in it, the press service of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

«we are studying the ocean on another planet using the techniques that we have developed for the study of the cycle of energy and nutrients in the earth’s ecosystems. Circulation of oxygen and hydrogen in Europe, the ocean, as well as in the Earth’s oceans, will be one of the key processes, conducts its evolution and life of microbes, if they are there, “- RIA” Novosti “Statement Steven Vance of the Laboratory of NASA’s Jet Propulsion in Pasadena ( USA).

Vance and his colleagues came to this conclusion by studying how the chemical balance in the work of the Earth’s oceans and how they exchange various substances with the rocks on the bottom and with the air, ice and rocks on the surface. Understanding how such an exchange takes place on other planets, it is crucial to assess their ability to sustain life – exo-ocean, for example, may be too acidic, alkaline, or just too hot for the microbes.

The authors of this discovery, published the findings in the journal Geophysical Journal Letters, focused their attention on two key elements of the cycle of life – hydrogen and oxygen. Their number in water and the degree of interaction with each other will determine the acid-alkaline balance of the ocean, ask potential “food” source for microbes, and manage a variety of other factors.

The main source of hydrogen in the Earth’s oceans and Europe, as the scientists explain, are alkaline rocks on the seabed, is reacted with water, in which a large amount of hydrogen. These rocks appear at the bottom of our planet as a result of tectonic processes, and in Europe they have come into contact with water due to the fact that the rocky core of Jupiter companion will gradually “crack” as it cools, exposing fresh deposits of alkaline rocks.

Oxygen, in turn, is mainly formed on the surface of the ice shell of Europe, as a result of the decomposition of water molecules under the influence of cosmic rays and the powerful magnetic field of Jupiter, guiding ions of the solar wind in her direction. As the icy crust of Europe’s oceans is constantly “crack” and updated, some of this oxygen will fall back into their water.

Vance and his colleagues counted the number of both substances produced oceans of Europe, and came to the conclusion that it will produce an ocean about 10 times more oxygen than hydrogen. This is broadly consistent with what is happening in the world and says that the chemical balance in European waters is about the same as in the oceans of our planet. This fact, according to the authors, significantly increases our chances of finding life on this moon of Jupiter.

We also recall, April 1, the director of the Research Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), Moscow State University Mikhail Panasyuk reported that Russian scientists have begun to develop a preliminary plan for a new mission to one of the satellites of Jupiter – Europe and Ganymede