Water, Water Everywhere

By Hannah Mohr, INSPIRE OLC 10th Grade

There's water on the Moon!!! Like, twice as much as there is on Earth! No, I'm not talking about Earth's moon and the recently discovered water there; I want to take a look at a slightly smaller moon: Jupiter's Europa. Huge frozen oceans cover the surface of this moon, which shares some traits with Earth. Scientists believe that Europa has an iron core like Earth does, and the oceans on the faraway moon are salty like ours. However, Europa's oceans cover the entire surface of the moon, leaving no continents.

Also unlike Earth, the oceans on Europa are frozen all over the moon because it is so far from the Sun. Scientists have discovered cracks in the frozen oceans, probably caused by Europa's oval orbit. When Europa swings close to Jupiter, the gravitational pull is significantly increased, causing the ice to crack as it is forced toward the large planet. This creates friction and therefore heat, a process known as “Tidal Heating.”

Of course, everyone wants to know “Is there life there?” Well, we don't know for certain yet, but there is a possibility. Under the solid ocean ice, scientists believe that there is slushy icy or even liquid water. These circumstances create a possibility for marine life, though no concrete evidence has been found to support this hypothesis. More study of this moon will have to be performed before we have all the answers.

Europa is a fascinating moon. Its great oceans, possibly twice as vast the water on our own planet, cover its surface and potentially permit life. The weird, oval orbit of Europa makes it warmer than it would otherwise be, yet another requirement for life. There's much more we can learn about Europa, so come on, let's explore.

Source:
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Jup_Europa