Study Uncovers Briny Water Flows on Airless Worlds

Overview

• A new study suggests that meteoroid impacts can melt subsurface ice on airless worlds, creating temporary flows of salty water.
• These briny flows can last long enough to cause erosion, forming gullies and landslides on bodies such as Ceres, Vesta, and Europa.
• The research, conducted by SwRI and NASA's JPL, used simulations to demonstrate how these flows occur under vacuum conditions.
• Findings indicate that salt and water mixtures remain liquid longer than pure water, allowing for significant geological changes.
• This discovery hints at the presence of water on these worlds in the recent past and suggests potential for future exploration missions.