PASADENA, Calif., May 14 (UPI) — New research suggests sea salt may be responsible for the long streaks of dark material that scar Europa’s icy surface. If so, it could mean Europa’s subsurface oceans are interacting with ocean floors rich in minerals — a sign the environment could support life.
Scientists have offered a number of theories for the origins of Europa’s dark colorations, which mark the Galilean moon’s long, linear fractures. Some research suggests sulfur and magnesium account for the dark color of the satellite’s older geological formations.
But new data proves sea salt remains the best explanation for the dark tones of Europa’s younger formations.
Of course, scientists don’t yet have actual samples from the surface of Jupiter’s sixth closest moon. To prove sea salt was likely responsible for Europa’s darkened streaks, scientists baked salt samples in a high-tech oven.
“We call it our ‘Europa in a can,’” Kevin Hand, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, explained in a press release. “The lab setup mimics conditions on Europa’s surface in terms of temperature, pressure and radiation exposure. The spectra of these materials can then be compared to those collected by spacecraft and telescopes.”
The can is actually less like an oven and more like a refrigerator filled with intense levels of radiation. But the can turned white sodium chloride into a variety of caramelized browns that resemble the images of Europa captured by NASA’s Galileo probe.
“This work tells us the chemical signature of radiation-baked sodium chloride is a compelling match to spacecraft data for Europa’s mystery material,” Hand said.
The research is available online, and will soon be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
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