Europa’s Hidden Ocean Could Be ‘Fed’ by Sinking Salted Ice; New Study Boosts Hopes for Alien Life
Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons, may have a more habitable ocean than once thought. New simulations show that dense, salt-rich ice on the surface can slowly sink through the moon’s thick ice shell and drip into the hidden ocean below. This process would deliver nutrients and oxidants over geological timescales, potentially sustaining conditions favourable for extraterrestrial life beneath Europa’s frozen crust.
