doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ade3d8
Credibility: 989
#Europa
The surface chemistry of Europa, a moon of Jupiter, suggests conditions that could support life beneath its icy crust
Laboratory experiments have revealed how hydrogen peroxide, a key substance, appears in unexpected places.
What did the scientists discover?
Researchers at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) conducted tests to understand why hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is frozen on Europa’s surface.
The results, published in the *Planetary Science Journal*, help explain surprising data collected by the James Webb Space Telescope (James Webb).
James Webb observations showed that hydrogen peroxide is present in greater quantities in Europa’s warmer equatorial regions, especially in an area called Tara Regio.
This was unexpected, as previous studies suggested it would be more common in the colder polar zones.
How did the scientists investigate?
To understand this mystery, Bereket Mamo, a graduate student at the University of Texas at San Antonio working with SwRI, led a NASA-funded study.
He recreated Europa’s surface conditions in a laboratory at SwRI’s Center for Astrophysics and Space Experiments.
Mamo noticed that areas with more hydrogen peroxide, known as chaotic terrains, also had higher amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2).
Scientists believe this CO2 may be escaping from a liquid ocean below the surface, rising through cracks in the ice.
In the laboratory, the team mixed water ice with CO2 in a vacuum chamber and bombarded the mixture with high-energy electrons, mimicking Europa’s conditions.
They found that even small amounts of CO2 greatly increase the formation of hydrogen peroxide at temperatures similar to those on the moon’s surface.
What does this mean for the possibility of life on Europa?
Dr. Ujjwal Raut, Mamo’s advisor, explained that the goal of the study is to assess whether Europa could harbor life.
The presence of hydrogen peroxide along with CO2, sodium chloride (salt), and other compounds is an important signal.
These materials can come from the subsurface ocean, reach the surface, and, when hit by radiation, form substances like hydrogen peroxide.
Over time, these substances can return to the ocean and react with other molecules, releasing chemical energy that could sustain life.
“These substances, like hydrogen peroxide, are important because they can store chemical energy, essential for dark ocean worlds where sunlight doesn’t reach,” said Dr. Ben Teolis, another SwRI scientist and co-author of the study.
Why is this important?
These findings explain why hydrogen peroxide is found in unexpected places on Europa and may also help us understand its presence on other icy celestial bodies, such as Jupiter’s moon Ganymede and Pluto’s moon Charon, where it has also been detected along with CO2.
Furthermore, the results pave the way for space missions such as NASA’s Europa Clipper, which is en route to Jupiter to study the moon up close, and the European Space Agency’s Juice mission.
These missions will explore whether Europa truly has the conditions to support life.
In summary
The experiments show that the combination of CO2 and radiation on Europa’s surface creates hydrogen peroxide in greater quantities in warmer regions.
This suggests that the subsurface ocean may be delivering materials that, when reacted, produce chemical energy-a key ingredient for the possibility of life.
These discoveries are an important step in understanding whether Europa, and other icy worlds, could be habitable.
Published in 08/07/2025 04h22
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.
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