SciencePhys.orgSalt crystals could hold clues to life beneath Enceladus's ice
Scientists have found that salt crystals forming on Saturn's moon Enceladus can trap tiny pockets of water, potentially preserving clues about life in its hidden ocean.
The ocean beneath Saturn's moon Enceladus lies under kilometers of ice, but some of its contents do reach the surface. Jets near the south pole spray out water vapor and icy particles, offering a way to investigate the hidden ocean without drilling down to it.
A laboratory study found that natron salt crystals forming on Enceladus can trap tiny pockets of fluid as they grow during freezing.
Of nearly 3,800 crystal grains examined, only about 3 per cent held fluid inclusions, but all 29 of the largest grains did, the researchers found.
The crystals could act as tiny time capsules preserving ocean chemistry, and possibly traces of life, without needing to drill through kilometres of ice.
The study found only the largest crystal grains reliably contained fluid pockets, which researchers say could help guide future missions on what to sample.
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