ELEMENT KEY TO LIFE DISCOVERED IN ENCELADUUS OCEAN
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The search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system just got more exciting. A team of scientists, including Dr. Christopher Glein of the Southwest Research Institute, has discovered new evidence that the subsurface ocean of Saturn's moon Enceladus contains a fundamental building block for life. The team directly detected phosphorus in the form of phosphates originating from the moon's ice-covered global ocean using data from NASA's Cassini mission. Cassini explored Saturn and its ring system and moons for more than 13 years.
"In 2020 (published in 2022), we used geochemical modeling to predict that phosphorus should be abundant in Enceladus' ocean," said Glein, a leading expert in extraterrestrial oceanography. He is a co-author of a paper in the journal Nature describing this research. "Now, we've found abundant phosphorus in samples of ice plumes emanating from the subsurface ocean."
The Cassini spacecraft discovered liquid water underground on Enceladus and analyzed samples from a cloud of ice grains and gases erupting into space from cracks in the moon's icy surface. Analysis of a class of salt-rich ice grains by Cassini's Cosmic Dust Analyzer revealed the presence of sodium phosphates. The team's observational results, along with analogous laboratory experiments, suggest that phosphorus is readily available in Enceladus's ocean as phosphates.
Phosphorus in the form of phosphates is vital for all life on Earth. It is essential for the creation of DNA and RNA, energy-carrying molecules, cell membranes, bones and teeth in humans and animals, and even the microbiome of marine plankton. Life as we know it is simply not possible without phosphates.
"We found phosphate concentrations at least 100 times higher in the lunar plume-forming ocean waters than in Earth's oceans," said Glein. "Using a model to predict the presence of phosphate is one thing, but finding evidence of phosphate is incredibly exciting. This is a stunning result for astrobiology and a major step forward in the search for life beyond Earth."
One of the most profound discoveries in planetary science over the past 25 years is that worlds with oceans beneath a surface layer of ice are common in our solar system. These worlds include the icy satellites of the giant planets, such as Europa, Titan, and Enceladus, as well as more distant bodies like Pluto. Worlds like Earth with surface oceans must reside within a narrow range of distance from their host stars to maintain temperatures that support liquid surface water. Inner ocean worlds, however, can occur over a much wider range of distances, greatly expanding the number of habitable worlds likely to exist throughout the galaxy.
"Geochemical experiments and modeling demonstrate that such high phosphate concentrations result from the increased mineral solubility of phosphate on Enceladus and possibly on other icy ocean worlds in the solar system beyond Jupiter," said Glein. "With this discovery, we now know that Enceladus' ocean meets what is generally considered the most stringent requirement for life. The next step is clear—we need to return to Enceladus to see if the habitable ocean is actually inhabited."
SOURCES:
https://www.swri.org/press-release/ke...
https://www.nature.com/articles/s4158...
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