Satellite of Jupiter found signs of underwater thermal sources

Computer simulation confirmed that at the bottom of the ocean, which may be hidden under the ice crust of Europe, the satellite of Jupiter, there may be active volcanoes. This conclusion came the international group of scientists from the USA, France and the Czech Republic, which presented the results of his research in the magazine Geophysical Research Letters. This is reported in a press release on Phys.org.

Planetists simulated generation and transfer of heat into the mantle of Europe. They found out that the melting of silicate rocks can flow over most of the history of the satellite existence due to natural radioactivity and slow internal cooling. Tidal friction due to the gravity of Jupiter accelerates melting and focuses it in high europe latitudes, where volcanic activity is possible. In periods of intensive melting, magmatic provinces are formed, comparable in size with those that exist on Earth.

The rocky part of Europe can be deformed and heated under the action of Jupiter. This effect is most obvious at the other satellite of Jupiter, which is characterized by high volcanic activity. However, Europe is further from the gas giant than IO, so the presence of volcanoes under the icy satellite crust remained speculation for decades.

The authors of scientific work suggest that in Europe there is an iron core, surrounded by a rocky mantheus, which directly contacts the ocean. Underwater volcanoes could feed hydrothermal sources, providing conditions for the existence of living organisms. Thus, the detection of signs of geological activity increases the likelihood of potential inhabitancy of Europe.

/Media reports.