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Re: Researchers Assess Biological Potential Of Mars, Early Earth And Europa

>> Jakosky believes if there is even a slim chance for finding life there, it
>> would not be in the water but in rocks underlying the water where internal
>> heat sources may transfer energy for life. They estimate, however, that the
>> energy available on Europa is even lower than on Mars.

>Io is a wad of volcanoes. It would seem to a layman that Europa should
>be rich in submarine volcanism, or at least thermal vents like we have
>on Earth.

Io is closer to Jupiter than Europa, and experiences more tidal forces.  
Some models suggest that Europa may be undergoing sufficient tidal pulls 
to generate enough heat to maintain a liquid ocean and thermal vents, but 
we still lack direct evidence to support this theory.  The Galileo data
so far indicates Europa has had a liquid ocean, but we it doesn't show if
the ocean is still present today.
One of the main purposes of a Europa orbiter is to determine is a
liquid ocean currently exists on Europa.  It will do this by bouncing radar 
through the ice, and by monitoring how much the surface crust flexes over time.

Ron Baalke

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