Geysers, water and tectonic plates in Entzelad

2009/01/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astronomia

Saturn's Holm Moon research is becoming very important for NASA astronomers, as according to the latest data there may be water on that moon. In recent times, two data have reinforced this hypothesis. On the one hand, NASA's Cassini probe has discovered four water vapor geyser in Entzelad and, on the other hand, the images taken by this probe indicate that this moon has an Earth-style plate tectonics.

Geyser was announced by NASA in late November. On a flight near the Moon, the Cassini probe went through four powerful jets of steam and was able to analyze its chemistry. It was a matter of fortune, since the jets were left at a time between the probe and the Sun, so the analysis of sunlight allowed to study the chemical components of the jet. Analysis of ultraviolet light clearly showed that steam had water.

The presence of water vapor in Geyser provoked a debate among astronomers. Some people think that the fact that the geysers are water vapor coincides with the hypothesis that there is liquid water below the surface of the Encielade. The geysers are produced by a gas trapped inside the moon, crossing the liquid water along the way and coming up under great pressure by a groove. However, other astronomers believe that the formation of geysers can appear even without the intervention of liquid water.

In mid-December another study introduced more information for the debate. An astronomer from Cornell University studied images of the surface of the Encielade to understand how the faults that are seen move. The images taken by the Cassini probe show that failures move over time, similar to how the seabed moves on Earth. According to astronomers at Cornell University, this means that a similar phenomenon occurs to plate tectonics on Earth on the surface of the Encielade.

The debate that brought this news has been the origin of this movement. On the ground, tectonic plates move on molten stone; it could also be in Entzelad, but some astronomers believe that water is the liquid under the plates. Water is for now a hypothesis. However, this hypothesis can weigh heavily on Entzelade's research budget.