What Is It About Europa Anyway?
- Jupiterís moon Europa may have a deep, liquid-water ocean
- Best estimates suggest ice is ~20km deep, with a total depth of water to ç100km
- Heat flow from the interior 10-30% of Earth (10-30 mW/m2 on average).
- If an ocean is found, their may be an opportunity for aqueous chemistry, an origin of life, and the evolutionary ìexperiment.î
- Europa has all of the raw materials required to support ìlife-as-we-know-it,î but the questions are more ìwhether, where, when and how much?î