Overview
- The peer-reviewed Nature Communications study concludes Europa’s ocean floor probably has little to no active faulting.
- Researchers say the rocky seafloor is likely too strong for volcanism or hydrothermal vents that generate chemical energy on Earth.
- Europa still has a deep subsurface ocean and detected organics, but the energy source needed to sustain life may be lacking at present.
- The modeling targets current conditions and leaves open the possibility of greater geological activity billions of years ago.
- NASA’s Europa Clipper, launched in 2024, is scheduled to begin close flybys in 2031 to collect data that can confirm or challenge these findings.