Enceladus' Geysers May Not Come from Underground Ocean, Study Suggests
Saturn's moon Enceladus has been a subject of scientific intrigue due to its massive water plumes, which were initially believed to be linked to an underground ocean beneath its icy crust. The idea that this ocean could sustain microbial life made it a prime target for astrobiological studies. However, new research suggests that the source of these geysers may not be the deep subsurface ocean, but rather a mushy layer within the ice shell itself. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the habitability of Enceladus and raises new questions about the mechanisms behind the moon's plumes. New Theory on Enceladus' Geysers According to a study published in Geophysical Research Letters, researchers from Dartmouth College propose that the plumes erupting from Enceladus may not require fractures that extend entirely through the ice shell to the underground ocean. Instead, they suggest that a slushy, salt-laden layer within the ice could act as the source of the water ...