RT Journal Article
T1 Thermal Diapirism and the Habitability of the Icy Shellof Europa
A1 Ruiz Pérez, Javier
A1 Montoya, Lilia
A1 López, Valle
A1 Amils, Ricardo
AB Europa’s chaos and lenticulae features may have originated by thermal diapirsrelated to convective plumes. Warm ice plumes could be habitable, since their temperatureis close to the ice melting temperature. Moreover, thermal plumes intruding into the lowerstagnant lid warm several kilometers of country ice above 230 K for periods of 105 years,and hundreds of meters above 240 K for periods of 104 years. Diapir coalescencegenerating chaos areas should provide a large zone with temperature above ∼240 K forthousands of years. A temperature above ∼230 K is potentially interesting for astrobiology,since it corresponds to the lowest temperature at which microbial metabolic activity inAntarctic ice has been reported. So, the warming by thermal plumes could cause an aureoleof biological activation/reactivation in the country ice. Adaptation of life to either highsalinity or low temperature is similar: it requires the synthesis of compatible solutes, liketrehalose or glycerol, which are efficient cryoprotectants. We therefore propose that thefuture astrobiological exploration of Europa should include the search for compatiblesolutes in chaos and lenticulae features.
PB Springer Science Business Media
SN 0169-6149
YR 2007
FD 2007
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/49338
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/49338
LA spa
NO The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com
DS Docta Complutense
RD 9 abr 2025