Enceladus Archives

Spatial concentration map of the pores inside Enceladus (first column), Earth (second column) and Mars (third column) respectively. For Enceladus we plotted the map from the core to the surface. Advancing downwards, the pore surface area only reaches 50% of the value of the total pore surface area at the depth of 40 km. We can see that inside Earth and Mars the pores are strongly concentrated near the surface. This is mainly due to the shallow pore compaction depth, which is caused by the high surface gravity of the body. About 50% of the total pore surface area can be found above the depth of 1000 m. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Status Report

Investigating The Porosity Of Enceladus

by Keith CowingAugust 14, 2023August 14, 2023

The interior of Enceladus, a medium sized icy moon of Saturn hosts hydrothermal activity and exhibits tidal heating and related geyser-like activity.

Solutions for the various heating scenarios with 𝑎 = 250 km. The top three rows show zonally-averaged temperature 𝑇, zonal flow speed 𝑈, meridional streamfunction Ψ(𝜙, 𝑧) = ∫ 𝑧 −𝐻tot 𝜌(𝜙, 𝑧′ )𝑉 (𝜙, 𝑧′ ) × (2𝜋(𝑎 + 𝑧 ′ ) cos 𝜙) 𝑑𝑧′ , where 𝜙 denotes latitude, 𝑧 denotes altitude, −𝐻tot is the altitude of the seafloor and 𝑉 and 𝜌 are meridional speed and density. Ψ > 0 indicates clockwise circulation. The last row (panel d1-4) shows the vertically-integrated meridional ocean heat transport F (𝜙) = ∫ −𝐻 −𝐻tot 𝜌(𝜙, 𝑧′ )𝑉 (𝜙, 𝑧′ )𝑇 (𝜙, 𝑧′ ) × (2𝜋(𝑎 + 𝑧 ′ ) cos 𝜙) 𝑑𝑧′ . F > 0 if heat is transport northward. From the left to the right column show solutions with 𝑄0 = 0, 𝑄0 = Hcond 𝑓deep ≈ 𝑄𝑐/3, 𝑄0 = 𝑄𝑐 and 𝑄0 = 5𝑄𝑐, respectively, where 𝑄𝑐 = 0.21 W/m2 . Panel (e2) shows the mid-level vertical velocity field for the core-heating scenario -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Enceladus, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

The Modulation Effect Of Ice Thickness Variations On Convection In Icy Ocean Worlds

by Keith CowingJuly 19, 2023July 19, 2023

It has been long puzzling whether the ice thickness variations observed on Enceladus can be sustained sorely by a polar-amplified bottom heating. The key to this question is to understand […]

Probability that lurkers exist on the various solar system bodies listed in Table 1. This assumes an a priori probability of 1/2, and considers the scenario where 10 lurkers would be present, with a mean diameter of 10 meters. -- astro-ph.EP

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Missions & Hardware, Status Report

Information Gain as a Tool for Assessing Biosignature Missions

by Keith CowingJuly 13, 2023July 13, 2023

We propose the mathematical notion of information gain as a way of quantitatively assessing the value of biosignature missions.

Astrobiology (general), Enceladus, Science Fiction, SETI & Technosignatures, Societal Issues

Astrobiology.com On BBC Radio London

by Keith CowingJuly 7, 2023July 7, 2023

Editor’s note: On 7 July I appeared live on BBC Radio London with host Jumoké Fashola to talk about Saturn’s moon Enceladus and the possibility that it could host life. […]

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Phosphate, A Key Building Block Of Life, Found On Saturn’s Moon Enceladus

by Keith CowingJune 18, 2023June 16, 2023

An international team including a University of Washington scientist has found that the water on one of Saturn’s moons harbors phosphates, a key building block of life. The team led […]

Zonal-mean temperature (T, a), salinity anomaly (S, b), and potential density anomaly (ρσ, with reference pressure near the ocean surface, c) in the quasi-equilibrium state of all simulations. The first to the fourth columns are results of the high salinity simulation with high horizontal diffusivity (HSh), high salinity simulation with low horizontal diffusivity (HSl), low salinity simulation with high horizontal diffusivity (LSh), and low salinity simulation with low horizontal diffusivity (LSl), respectively. In (a1) & (a2), the contour interval is 0.01 ◦C below -2.14 ◦C and 0.001 ◦C above -2.14 ◦C. In (a3) & (a4), the contour interval is 0.01 ◦C below -0.6 ◦C and 0.2 ◦C above -0.6 ◦C. In (b1) & (b2), a reference salinity of 34.97 g kg−1 is subtracted, and the contour interval is 10−3 g kg−1 . In (b3) & (b4), a reference salinity of 8.45 g kg−1 is subtracted, and the contour interval is 5×10−4 g kg−1 . In (c1) & (c2), a reference density of 1029.13 kg m−3 is subtracted, and the contour interval is 10−3 kg m−3 below 5 × 10−3 kg m−3 and 3 × 10−4 kg m−3 above 5×10−3 kg m−3 . In (c3) & (c4), a reference density of 1007.7 kg m−3 is subtracted, and the contour interval is 10−3 kg m−3 below -10−2 kg m−3 and 5 × 10−3 kg m−3 above -10−2 kg m−3 --- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

The Effect Of Salinity On Ocean Circulation And Ice-ocean Interaction On Enceladus

by Keith CowingJune 16, 2023June 16, 2023

Observational data suggest that the ice shell on Enceladus is thicker at the equator than at the pole, indicating an equator-to-pole ice flow.

CDA cation spectrum co-added from nine baseline-corrected individual ice grain spectra. - The mass lines signifying a high-salinity Type 3 spectrum are Na+ (23 u) and (NaOH)Na+ (63 u) with secondary Na-rich signatures of (H2O)Na+ (41 u) and Na2+ (46 u). Sodium phosphates are represented by phosphate-bearing Na-cluster cations, with (Na3PO4)Na+ (187 u) possessing the highest amplitude in each spectrum followed by (Na2HPO4)Na+ (165 u) and (NaPO3)Na+ (125 u). The first two unlabelled peaks at the beginning of the spectrum are H+ and C+, stemming from target contamination39. a.u., arbitrary units. -- Nature/NASA

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Cassini Data Reveals Building Block for Life in Enceladus’ Ocean

by Keith CowingJune 15, 2023June 16, 2023

Using data collected by NASA’s Cassini mission, an international team of scientists has discovered phosphorus – an essential chemical element for life – locked inside salt-rich ice grains ejected into […]

Simulations of the 2:1 mean-motion resonance crossing between the coorbitals Janus and Epimetheus and Enceladus using simpl. Enceladus and Dione were assumed to be on their current orbits, while Janus and Epimetheus were shifted inward. In the left-hand side panels Janus and Epimetheus were in their current horseshoe configuration, while they were put in a tadpole (Trojan) configuration in the right-hand panels. The coorbitals’ orbits are expanding due to an artificial acceleration meant to represent ring torques. We used k2/Q = 0.01 for Enceladus, and we ignored satellite tides for the coorbitals. -- astro-ph.EP

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

A Past Episode of Rapid Tidal Evolution of Enceladus?

by Keith CowingJune 14, 2023October 7, 2025

Saturn possesses a dynamically rich system containing numerous moons and impressive rings. Whether the rings of Saturn are much younger than the planet itself has been a long-open question; more […]

SwRI Lead Scientist Dr. Christopher Glein was part of a team that found phosphorus, a key building block for life, from the subsurface ocean of Saturn’s small moon, Enceladus. Liquid water erupts from the moon’s subsurface ocean, forming a plume that contains grains of frozen ocean water. Some of these ice grains go on to form Saturn’s E ring. The team analyzed Cassini spacecraft data from ice grains in the E ring, which revealed fingerprints of soluble phosphate salts from Enceladus’ ocean. Credit: Courtesy of SwRI and Freie Universität Berlin

Astrochemistry, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Phosphorus – A Key Building Block For life – Found On Enceladus

by Keith CowingJune 14, 2023June 14, 2023

The search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system just got more exciting. A team of scientists including Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Christopher Glein has discovered new evidence that the […]

Images from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) show a water vapour plume jetting from the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, extending out 40 times the size of the moon itself. The inset, an image from the Cassini orbiter, emphasises how small Enceladus appears in the Webb image compared to the water plume. — ESA/NASA

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

JWST Molecular Mapping And Characterization Of Enceladus’ Water Plume Feeding Its Torus

by Keith CowingMay 31, 2023May 31, 2023

Enceladus is a prime target in the search for life in our solar system, having an active plume likely connected to a large liquid water subsurface ocean.

Enceladus

Investigating The Porosity Of Enceladus

The Modulation Effect Of Ice Thickness Variations On Convection In Icy Ocean Worlds

Information Gain as a Tool for Assessing Biosignature Missions

Astrobiology.com On BBC Radio London

Phosphate, A Key Building Block Of Life, Found On Saturn’s Moon Enceladus

The Effect Of Salinity On Ocean Circulation And Ice-ocean Interaction On Enceladus

Cassini Data Reveals Building Block for Life in Enceladus’ Ocean

A Past Episode of Rapid Tidal Evolution of Enceladus?

Phosphorus – A Key Building Block For life – Found On Enceladus

JWST Molecular Mapping And Characterization Of Enceladus’ Water Plume Feeding Its Torus

On The Foundations Of Anthropic Reasoning: Implications For Life Across The Universe

NASA Curation Community Conversation Webinar

The Atmospheric Chemistry and Surface Interactions on Mars (ACSIOM) Workshop 2025

An ALMA View On Molecular Complexity: Water, Methanol, And Methyl Formate In The HD 100546 And IRS 48 Disks

The Occurrence of Circumbinary Planets Around TESS M-dwarf Eclipsing Binaries