Detection of phosphates originating from Enceladus’s ocean

Frank Postberg (), Yasuhito Sekine, Fabian Klenner, Christopher R. Glein, Zenghui Zou, Bernd Abel, Kento Furuya, Jon K. Hillier, Nozair Khawaja, Sascha Kempf, Lenz Noelle, Takuya Saito, Juergen Schmidt, Takazo Shibuya, Ralf Srama and Shuya Tan
Additional contact information
Frank Postberg: Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin
Yasuhito Sekine: Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology
Fabian Klenner: Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin
Christopher R. Glein: Space Science Division, Space Sector, Southwest Research Institute
Zenghui Zou: Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin
Bernd Abel: Leibniz-Institute für Oberflächenmodifizierung
Kento Furuya: Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology
Jon K. Hillier: Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin
Nozair Khawaja: Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin
Sascha Kempf: University of Colorado
Lenz Noelle: Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin
Takuya Saito: Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avantgarde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
Juergen Schmidt: Institut für Geologische Wissenschaften, Freie Universität Berlin
Takazo Shibuya: Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avantgarde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
Ralf Srama: Institut für Raumfahrtsysteme, Universität Stuttgart
Shuya Tan: Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology

Nature, 2023, vol. 618, issue 7965, 489-493

Abstract: Abstract Saturn’s moon Enceladus harbours a global1 ice-covered water ocean2,3. The Cassini spacecraft investigated the composition of the ocean by analysis of material ejected into space by the moon’s cryovolcanic plume4–9. The analysis of salt-rich ice grains by Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer10 enabled inference of major solutes in the ocean water (Na+, K+, Cl–, HCO3–, CO32–) and its alkaline pH3,11. Phosphorus, the least abundant of the bio-essential elements12–14, has not yet been detected in an ocean beyond Earth. Earlier geochemical modelling studies suggest that phosphate might be scarce in the ocean of Enceladus and other icy ocean worlds15,16. However, more recent modelling of mineral solubilities in Enceladus’s ocean indicates that phosphate could be relatively abundant17. Here we present Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer mass spectra of ice grains emitted by Enceladus that show the presence of sodium phosphates. Our observational results, together with laboratory analogue experiments, suggest that phosphorus is readily available in Enceladus’s ocean in the form of orthophosphates, with phosphorus concentrations at least 100-fold higher in the moon’s plume-forming ocean waters than in Earth’s oceans. Furthermore, geochemical experiments and modelling demonstrate that such high phosphate abundances could be achieved in Enceladus and possibly in other icy ocean worlds beyond the primordial CO2 snowline, either at the cold seafloor or in hydrothermal environments with moderate temperatures. In both cases the main driver is probably the higher solubility of calcium phosphate minerals compared with calcium carbonate in moderately alkaline solutions rich in carbonate or bicarbonate ions.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05987-9

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