
S4 Europaβs ice thickness and subsurface structure characterized by the Juno microwave radiometer
by Nature Astronomy
Jupiterβs moon Europa is thought to harbour a saltwater ocean beneath a variously disrupted ice shell, and it is, thus, one of the highest priority astrobiology targets in the Solar System. Estimates of the ice-shell thickness range from 3βkm to over 30βkm, and observations by the Galileo spacecraft indicated widespread regions of ice disruption (chaotic terrain) leading to speculation that the ice shell may contain subsurface cracks, faults, pores or bubbles.
Tags
Undersea
Europa