Waves are the main source of heat on Europa

One of the moons in the solar system that scientists think has the potential to contain life can have more complex oceans than previously thought.

If the Europa moon only tilted a bit in its orbit around Jupiter, Jupiter's gravity could produce very powerful brighters on the ocean of Europa, according to Robert Tyler, an oceanographer in the room. The University of Washington experiment, and the author of the Nature paper, on December 11. When these waves dissipate, they produce significant thermal energy.

Depending on the inclination, the heat generated by the ocean wave can range from 100 to 1000 times the amount of heat generated by Europa's deformation due to gravity from Jupiter and other moons orbiting the planet. this.

This hypothesis is that the oceans on the Moon are heated from the distortion of the moon's center. In the case of Europa, scientists argue that the moon's thick ice covering the ocean can produce heat when the two sides of the ice sheets crack friction against each other in response to gravity.

Tyler said: 'If my research is accurate, the sea's heat source on Europa is the sea itself, not what is above or below it. And we need to have a new perspective on the marine environment here with strong ocean currents, not slow flows like previous theories. '

If the Europa moon only tilted a bit in its orbit around Jupiter, the gravitational force of Jupiter could create very strong waves on the ocean of Europa. (Photo: NASA)

These are issues to consider if the probe is launched into Europa during the search for life. Europa, slightly smaller than the Earth's moon, is one of 63 Jupiter moons. With surface temperatures of about -260 degrees F , Europa is covered with a thick layer of ice. There is evidence of an ocean underneath the ice, and if there is volcanic activity on the sea floor, this could be the key to forming living organisms that do not need sunlight, like micro organisms are found in hydrothermal vents and elsewhere on Earth.

A lot of planets and moons lie in their orbit. The Earth has a tilt of about 23 degrees. That's why the Northern and Southern hemispheres have different seasons, depending on the tilt in the direction of the sun or away from the sun.

Previous theoretical calculations show that Europa has a tilt of about 0.1 degrees . This parameter has not been measured and may be larger than the above figure. However, even with this minimum value, the tidal stream on Europa using Tyler's new calculation is quite strong - 10 millimeters per second - which is enough to produce a significant amount of heat.

The new calculation differs from previous calculations in that it allows more realistic dynamic responses to tidal forces.

Tyler's calculations and hypotheses suggest that this wave activity may be the main source of heat in the sea of ​​Europa and other moons.

Tyler said: 'However, this proposal is completely new - need to consider its accuracy.' Tyler is the author of the Nature paper. His research was funded by NASA's Space Planet Program.