NASA research reveals Europa's mystery dark material could be sea salt
Wednesday, May 13, 2015 - 06:00
in Astronomy & Space
NASA laboratory experiments suggest the dark material coating some geological features of Jupiter's moon Europa is likely sea salt from a subsurface ocean, discolored by exposure to radiation. The presence of sea salt on Europa's surface suggests the ocean is interacting with its rocky seafloor—an important consideration in determining whether the icy moon could support life.