On Jupiter's Moon Europa, Underground Ocean Bubbles Up to
Surface The huge ocean sloshing beneath the icy shell of
Jupiter's moon Europa likely makes its way to the surface in
some places, suggesting astronomers may not need to drill down
deep to investigate it, a new study reports. Scientists have
detected chemicals on Europa's frozen surface that could only
come from the global liquid-water ocean beneath, implying the
two are in contact and potentially opening a window into an
environment that may be capable of supporting life as we know
it. "We now have evidence that Europa's ocean is not isolated —
that the ocean and the surface talk to each other and exchange
chemicals," study lead author Mike Brown, of Caltech in
Pasadena, said in a statement. "That means that energy might be
going into the ocean, which is important in terms of the
possibilities for life there," Brown added. "It also means that
if you’d like to know what’s in the ocean, you can just go to
the surface and scrape some off." [Photos: Europ