Identifying signatures of past and present cryovolcanism on Europa

Elodie Lesage (), Samuel M. Howell, Marc Neveu, Julia W. Miller, Mariam Naseem, Mohit Melwani Daswani, Justine Villette and Steven D. Vance
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Elodie Lesage: California Institute of Technology
Samuel M. Howell: California Institute of Technology
Marc Neveu: University of Maryland
Julia W. Miller: California Institute of Technology
Mariam Naseem: University of Maryland
Mohit Melwani Daswani: California Institute of Technology
Justine Villette: LPG UMR 6112
Steven D. Vance: California Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Europa, the most visibly active icy moon of Jupiter, is a prime target for the search for life in the outer solar system. Two spacecraft missions, Europa Clipper from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) from the European Space Agency (ESA), will observe its surface, probe its interior structure, and characterize the space environment starting in 2030. Occasional eruptions of water sourced from Europa’s interior may provide a window on the interior conditions and habitability of the moon. Here, we investigate the storage and evolution of briny water in Europa’s ice shell and propose a framework to interpret spectral, thermal, radar and gravity data collected by future missions. We show that it is possible to discriminate between water erupting from the deep ocean or from shallow liquid reservoirs using combined measurements of the material’s salinity, surface temperature and ice shell thickness.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57070-8

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