Future observations by NASA’s Europa Clipper mission could offer new insights into Europa’s subsurface oceans and potential habitability.
NASA images show spider-like Europa scar hinting at salty water beneath ice
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A spidery scar cut in the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa could be a mark where salty water from the satellite’s underground ocean once flowed out to space, and with it, any proof of life. The feature, known as Damhán Alla, Irish for “spider” or “wall demon”, was first seen by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s inside Manannán crater. Scientists now say it could be briny water that was pushed up after an impact, carving the starburst pattern and then freezing into place to create this oddity that resembles lake stars found on Earth.
Study Suggests Europa’s Spider-Like Channels Formed by Briny Liquid Beneath Ice
According to a Trinity College Dublin report, the scientists employed field observations, laboratory experiments, and computer models to compare the features with Earth’s dendritic lake stars. The research suggests the spider-like channels were likely created when briny liquid from beneath Europa’s icy shell welled up and froze sometime in the moon’s past.
Observations like this from the surface offer a window into what’s happening under the ice and, at similar features, might suggest localized brine pools that could serve as potential habitats for microbial life.On Earth, lake stars form where water ascends through ice into branching channels; Europa’s Damhán Alla features analogous channel-like patterns under the influence of salty brine.
Europa Clipper Mission to Reveal Hidden Water Patterns and Potential Habitats
NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, scheduled to launch in 2030, could take detailed images to examine scars and learn about the underground water activity, and potential for life, there.
Lauren McKeown, the lead author of the study, called the findings “exciting” and said that further observations could show similar features across Europa and other ocean worlds, guiding a hunt for life.
