Spacecraft Data Suggest Saturn Moon's Ocean May Harbor Hydrothermal Activity

NASA | MARCH 11, 2015

NASA's Cassini spacecraft has provided scientists the first clear evidence that Saturn's moon Enceladus exhibits signs of present-day hydrothermal activity which may resemble that seen in the deep oceans on Earth. The implications of such activity on a world other than our planet open up unprecedented scientific possibilities.

Enceladus: Possible Hydrothermal Activity (Artist's Concept) Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Cassini's cosmic dust analyzer instrument repeatedly detected miniscule rock particles rich in silicon and the team concluded these particles must be grains of silica, which is found in sand and the mineral quartz on Earth.

An extensive, four-year analysis of data from the spacecraft, computer simulations and laboratory experiments led researchers to the conclusion the tiny grains most likely form when hot water containing dissolved minerals from the moon's rocky interior travels upward, coming into contact with cooler water.

Temperatures required for the interactions that produce the tiny rock grains would be at least 194 degrees Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius).

These findings add to the possibility that Enceladus, which contains a subsurface ocean and displays remarkable geologic activity, could contain environments suitable for living organisms.

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