Study suggests icy moons with boiling oceans could support life

Enceladus, a moon of Saturn has subsurface oceans beneath icy crusts (Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

New research on icy moons was conducted. The study suggests that some icy moons in our solar system may have subsurface oceans that could boil under thin ice layers. Despite this, scientists said that life might still survive beneath.

Some icy moons in our solar system may have subsurface oceans that can boil when their ice shells become thin. This happens because reduced pressure and temperature conditions near the water triple point allow liquid water to turn into vapour. Despite this unusual phenomenon, life could still survive deeper beneath the ice.

Small moons like Enceladus, Mimas and Miranda are the focus. These moons have subsurface oceans beneath icy crusts. Scientists warn that thin ice layers could cause the liquid water to boil.

The “boiling” is not like on Earth. It occurs near the water triple point, where liquid, ice and vapour coexist. Low pressure and temperature variations in the moons' oceans create this unusual effect.

Despite surface boiling, life may persist. Organisms could survive deeper underwater, insulated from extreme conditions. The discovery suggests that even active, volatile oceans can support habitability.

The findings challenge assumptions about habitable environments. Icy moons may be more geologically dynamic than previously thought. Boiling oceans could influence chemical interactions essential for life. This expands the list of potential sites for future astrobiology missions.

Future missions to moons like Enceladus and Europa may test these theories. The researchers hope spacecraft can probe ice thickness and ocean dynamics. The observations could reveal if life exists under volatile ice layers.

This study redefines how scientists think about habitability. It highlights moons with thin ice shells as prime targets. The research opens new avenues for understanding life’s potential beyond Earth.