Icy impacts: Planetary scientists use physics and images of impact craters to gauge the thickness of ice on Europa

Icy impacts: Planetary scientists use physics and images of impact craters to gauge the thickness of ice on Europa

Using nearly the same principles, planetary scientists have been able to study the structure of Europa, Jupiter's icy moon. To reach their conclusion, the scientists studied large craters on Europa, running a variety of models to determine what combination of physical characteristics could have created such a surface structure.

"Impact cratering is the most ubiquitous surface process shaping planetary bodies," Johnson said."Craters are found on almost every solid body we've ever seen. They are a major driver of change in planetary bodies. When an impact crater forms, it is essentially probing the subsurface structure of a planetary body.

"Understanding the thickness of the ice is vital to theorizing about possible life on Europa," Johnson said."How thick the ice shell is controls what kind of processes are happening within it, and that is really important for understanding the exchange of material between the surface and the ocean. That is what will help us understand how all kinds of processes happen on Europa -- and help us understand the possibility of life."Purdue University.

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

The moons of Mars may have been formed in an icy planetary collisionThe origins of Mars’s moons Phobos and Deimos have long been an enigma, but they may have been formed when a comet-like icy object slammed into the Red Planet
Source: newscientist - 🏆 541. / 51 Read more »

Planetary scientists use physics and images of impact craters to gauge thickness of ice on EuropaSometimes planetary physics is like being in a snowball fight. Most people, if handed an already-formed snowball, can use their experience and the feel of the ball to guess what kind of snow it is composed of: packable and fluffy, or wet and icy.
Source: physorg_com - 🏆 388. / 55 Read more »

NASA unveils cryptic message from Earth to be sent to Jupiter's icy ocean moon EuropaEmily is a health news writer based in London, United Kingdom. She holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Durham University and a master's degree in clinical and therapeutic neuroscience from Oxford University. She has worked in science communication, medical writing and as a local news reporter while undertaking journalism training.
Source: LiveScience - 🏆 538. / 51 Read more »

With Icy Volcanoes, the Moon Europa Is Obscure, Along With These 3 Other MoonsFrom Io, the most volcanically active body known to science, to Titan, which boasts its own weather cycle, take a tour of our solar system's otherworldly moons.
Source: DiscoverMag - 🏆 459. / 53 Read more »

New Revelations Dash Hopes For Alien Life on Jupiter's Icy MoonThe Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Source: ScienceAlert - 🏆 63. / 68 Read more »

Backcountry skier dies amid icy conditions on New Hampshire’s Mount WashingtonThe Associated Press
Source: NBCNews - 🏆 10. / 86 Read more »