Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have led to two independent studies showing that CO2 ice on Jupiter’s moon Europa originates from the ocean beneath its surface. The findings provide new insight into the composition of Europa’s internal ocean, which is considered a key target for the search for extraterrestrial life.
Two studies show that CO2 on Europa’s surface originates from within the moon’s inner ocean.
Recent Webb Space Telescope observations of Europa show that the moon’s CO2 ice comes from its subsurface ocean, indicating the presence of abundant carbon at this potential center of extraterrestrial life.
Origin of CO2 on Jupiter’s Moon Europa
A pair of independent studies, using recent James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations of carbon dioxide (CO2) ice on Jupiter’s moon Europa, show the CO2 comes from sources within the icy body’s subsurface ocean. The findings from these two research groups provide new insights into the little-known composition of Europa’s internal ocean.
Beneath a layer of solid water ice, Jupiter’s moon Europa is thought to have an ocean of salty liquid water beneath its surface. Therefore, Europa is the main target for the search for life elsewhere in the Solar System. Assessment of the potential of the deep sea to be habitable depends on its chemical properties, including the amount of important biological elements such as carbon.
Previous research has identified the presence of solid CO2 ice on Europa’s surface, but it has not been determined whether the CO2 originates from the subsurface ocean, is brought to the lunar surface via meteorite impacts, or is produced on the surface through interactions with Jupiter’s magnetosphere. Determining the source of CO2 could constrain Europa’s internal ocean chemistry.
The NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured this image of the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Webb identified carbon dioxide in Europa’s icy surface as likely originating from the moon’s subsurface ocean. This discovery has important implications for the potential habitability of Europa’s oceans. The moon appears mostly blue because it is brighter at shorter infrared wavelengths. The white features correspond to the Powys Regio (left) and Tara Regio (center and right) chaos fields, indicating increased carbon dioxide ice at the surface. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Gerónimo Villanueva (NASA-GSFC), Samantha K Trumbo (Cornell University), Gerónimo Villanueva (NASA-GSFC), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Analysis of CO2 Distribution on Europa
In two separate studies, the researchers analyzed near-infrared spectroscopy of CO2 on Europa’s surface, obtained with JWST.
In one study, Samantha Trumbo and Michael Brown used JWST data to map the distribution of CO2 on Europa and found the highest abundance of CO2 was located in Tara Regio – a region of ~1,800 square kilometers dominated by “chaotic terrain,” geologically disturbed surface material.
According to the researchers, the amount of CO2 identified in this newly resurfaced region – one of the youngest regions on Europa’s surface – suggests that it originates from an internal carbon source. This implies that CO2 formed beneath Europa’s ocean surface and was brought to the surface on a new geological time scale.
However, the authors say that surface CO2 generation from marine-derived organic matter or carbonates cannot be completely ruled out. In either interpretation, the subsurface ocean contains carbon.
This graph shows a surface map of Europa with NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in the first panel and a composition map derived from Webb’s NIRSpec/IFU (Near Infrared Spectrograph Integral Field Unit) data in the next three panels. In the composition map, white pixels correspond to carbon dioxide in a large-scale chaotic region known as Tara Regio (center and right), with additional concentrations in parts of the Powys Regio chaotic region (left). The second and third panels show evidence of crystalline carbon dioxide, while the fourth panel shows the complex, amorphous form of carbon dioxide. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Gerónimo Villanueva (NASA-GSFC), Samantha K Trumbo (Cornell University), Gerónimo Villanueva (NASA-GSFC), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Concurrent Findings from Other Studies
In an independent study of the same JWST data, Geronimo Villanueva and colleagues found that CO2 on Europa’s surface is mixed with other compounds. The research team also found that CO2 was concentrated in Tara Regio and interpreted this as indicating that the carbon on the lunar surface was sourced from within.
The authors measured the ice’s 12C/13C isotope ratio, but could not differentiate between abiotic or biogenic sources. In addition, the research team looked for plumes of volatile material that penetrated the moon’s icy crust. Although previous studies have reported evidence of these features, the authors did not detect any plume activity during JWST observations.
They suggest that plume activity on Europa may be rare, or sometimes may not contain the volatile gases they included in their search. The results of the two studies complement each other and strengthen the conclusion that Europa’s subsurface ocean contains abundant carbon.
For more information about this discovery, see NASA’s Webb Finds Source of Carbon on Europa’s Surface.
Reference:
“CO2 distribution on Europa suggests internal carbon sources” by Samantha K. Trumbo and Michael E. Brown, 21 September 2023, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adg4155
“Endogenous CO2 ice mixture on Europa’s surface and no detection of plume activity” by GL Villanueva, HB Hammel, SN Milam, S. Faggi, V. Kofman, L. Roth, KP Hand, L. Paganini, J. Stansberry, J. Spencer , S. Protopapa, G. Strazzulla, G. Cruz-Mermy, CR Glein, R. Cartwright and G. Liuzzi, 21 September 2023, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adg4270
2023-10-20 05:35:47
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