Study: If Europa has an underground ocean, it is lifeless and dormant
Scientists analyzing the conditions that are believed to exist in Europa’s theorized underground ocean have concluded there is little geological activity within that ocean, reducing significantly the chances there is life there.
A new study led by Paul Byrne, an associate professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences, at Washington University in St. Louis, throws cold water on the idea that Europa could support life at the seafloor. Using calculations that consider the moon’s size, the makeup of its rocky core and the gravitational forces from Jupiter, Byrne and a team of scientists conclude that Europa likely lacks the tectonic motion, warm hydrothermal vents or any other sort of underwater geologic activity that would presumably be a prerequisite for life.
“If we could explore that ocean with a remote-control submarine, we predict we wouldn’t see any new fractures, active volcanoes or plumes of hot water on the seafloor,” Byrne said. “Geologically, there’s not a lot happening down there. Everything would be quiet.” And on an icy world like Europa, a quiet seafloor might well mean a lifeless ocean, he added.
You can read the paper here [pdf]. It admits in its conclusion that these results have a lot of uncertainty, and the Europa Clipper mission, set to arrive in orbit around Jupiter in 2031, will reduce that uncertainty but not eliminate it, adding that “Ultimately, however, the true test of our results here will require directly accessing the ocean and, perhaps one day, the ocean floor itself.”
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Scientists analyzing the conditions that are believed to exist in Europa’s theorized underground ocean have concluded there is little geological activity within that ocean, reducing significantly the chances there is life there.
A new study led by Paul Byrne, an associate professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences, at Washington University in St. Louis, throws cold water on the idea that Europa could support life at the seafloor. Using calculations that consider the moon’s size, the makeup of its rocky core and the gravitational forces from Jupiter, Byrne and a team of scientists conclude that Europa likely lacks the tectonic motion, warm hydrothermal vents or any other sort of underwater geologic activity that would presumably be a prerequisite for life.
“If we could explore that ocean with a remote-control submarine, we predict we wouldn’t see any new fractures, active volcanoes or plumes of hot water on the seafloor,” Byrne said. “Geologically, there’s not a lot happening down there. Everything would be quiet.” And on an icy world like Europa, a quiet seafloor might well mean a lifeless ocean, he added.
You can read the paper here [pdf]. It admits in its conclusion that these results have a lot of uncertainty, and the Europa Clipper mission, set to arrive in orbit around Jupiter in 2031, will reduce that uncertainty but not eliminate it, adding that “Ultimately, however, the true test of our results here will require directly accessing the ocean and, perhaps one day, the ocean floor itself.”
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
“All these worlds . . .”
“If-then;”
if pigs had wings….
F-
Hilarious!
“There may be another message after, if all goes well.”
“2010” (1984)
https://youtu.be/hJS3R1Z2HeI?t=174
I remain a deep skeptic of the prospect of life anywhere else in our Solar System (unless it is the result of panspermia from Earth). Something like this (speculative study) only reinforces my priors.
But Europa remains very much worth close examination either way. Alas, it will be a while before we can do so in regards to Europa’s oceans, even with Starship kicked into high gear. The radiation environment in the surface is brutal, and you have up to 35km of ice to drill through just to access it, let alone at depth. So, not likely in any of our lifetimes.
But Europa Clipper is an important step in that journey. And it’s on the way now.
Something is bringing colored ice to the surface. Something is breaking up the ice cap. Something is moving the ice around. If not thermal convection, what? Color me skeptical. Cheers –
We have zero evidence for life other than on Earth, even as we look further afield.
The answer to the meaning of human existence is becoming clear. Bring life to a dead Universe. It’s our job, it’s just us.
I’m generally the direct opposite of Richard, I think we’ll find life wherever there’s complex chemistry, a suitable solvent, and some form of energy. That most likely means organic chemistry and water, but the energy source can and has been varied. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some leftovers somewhere inside Mars like there is life in Earth’s interior. There are a lot of water worlds in the outer solar system, Europa isn’t the only one.
But when I think of the potential uniqueness of the Earth moon Sol system, maybe Richard is right, especially with regards to ‘intelligent’ life which may take a bunch of billion years in good stable and fragile environments.
Who knows, if we wager, we’ll long be dust before anyone knows.
I agree with Richard M.
I’d like to deposit some life in Europa to see it develop
It’s a big Universe. I am of the opinion that us being the ONLY currently tool-using life in the Universe, or even Galaxy, is a sigma so far down the normal curve, you’d need the Hubble Space Telescope to see it.
I want to believe that–so does SETI.
This far–no dice.