Jupiter's Moon Europa Could Sustain Life, Chemical Composition May Be Earth Like

For many years researchers have believed that one of Jupiter's Galilean moons, Europa, has been hiding an active deep salty ocean below its icy surface. Now, according to a new study by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), it has been suggested that the icy moon may have the necessary chemical balance to sustain life, in spite of lacking hydro-thermal activity.

As per a study published in Geophysical Research Letters, the oxygen production in Europa is 10 times more than its hydrogen production. The ratio of the elements is similar to that found on Earth, which implies that Europa's energy is available for life. The researchers from JPL also suggest that other oxidants like oxygen react with hydrogen to create a chemical balance that makes Europa Earth like.

"The oxidants from the ice are like the positive terminal of a battery, and the chemicals from the sea floor, called reductants, are like the negative terminal," said  Kevin Hand, a planetary scientist at JPL. "Whether or not life and biological processes complete the circuit is part of what motivates our exploration of Europa."

Other researchers previously believed that Europa, which incidentally is among the four largest moons of Jupiter, has hydro-thermal vents and volcanic activity that lets the production of mineral-rich hot water from the sea floor be exposed to the surface. The process is necessary to create a habitable environment, and would be impossible if Europa comprises of a rocky interior which is too strong for water to pass through, resulting in an ocean that is exceedingly acidic and inhabitable.

The surface of Europa, however, is cold and it can easily be broken through and opened up to expose hydrogen to the surface, to react and balance the oxidants in a ratio, making it similar to the oceans on our planet. Nevertheless, researchers feel that further investigations are still needed.

At present, NASA is planning another mission to explore Europa and carry out further observations to know more about its capability to sustain life. The planned spacecraft for the mission, scheduled to be ready by the 2020s, will be used to take high resolution photos, identify the moon's atmosphere and surface compositions as well as investigate its ice shell, ocean and interior.