Liquid water might abound just below the ice-covered surface of Jupiter's moon.
's four main moons, is covered with a 15-mile-thick ice crust, underneath which scientists believe an ocean swashes. But there might be scientific promises much closer to the frozen moon's surface, according to a new study that found similarities between processes shaping the surface of the distant moon andEuropa's ice crust is latticed with so-called double ridges, pairs of long parallel raised lines with a vale in between, as much as hundreds of miles or kilometers long.
By studying what lies under that Greenland double ridge, Culberg and his colleagues have theorized that double ridges — both on Earth and on Europa — are formed by underground water surging up through cracks in the surface ice, then refreezing. If the explanation is correct, it's a hint that Europa might have more than just a deep hidden ocean; the Jovian moon might also hold water in pockets just under the ice's surface.
That's helpful because scientists can do to Greenland something they can't yet do to Europa: pierce the ice's veil using radar. And in Greenland, radar scans showed water that had welled up below the double ridge.The scientists think that upwelling water is the key to forming double ridges. When a pool of water forms within the ice, it can start building pressure against the surface ice above. With enough pressure, the ice might crack, and water can start to flow up into the gap.
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