plumes Archives

A plume of gas and ice grains emanates from the South Polar Terrain on Enceladus. The plume source is a global ocean of liquid water beneath the moon's icy crust. Plume materials erupt as diffuse “curtains” of water vapor punctured by ∼100 localized “jets” of gas and ice grains primarily 0.1–10 μm in size (Porco et al., 2006; Spitale et al., 2015). Small ice grains escape Enceladus' gravity and populate Saturn's E-ring, but larger, slower grains are ejected to an altitude of 30–50 km and then fall back (Goldstein et al., 2018). Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.

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

Enceladus: Astrobiology Revisited

by Keith CowingMay 14, 2024May 14, 2024

Astrobiology research seeks to understand how life begins and evolves, and to determine whether life exist elsewhere in the universe. The discovery of diverse ocean worlds has significantly expanded the […]

Possible relationship between strike-slip motion and jet activity at Enceladus. Lateral extension along transtensional "pull-apart zones" allows water to rise and feed material to cryovolcanic jets. Credit: James Tuttle Keane

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

Water Plumes On Enceladus Caused By Strike–Slip Motion

by Keith CowingMay 1, 2024May 1, 2024

Over the course of its elliptical orbit, the moon Enceladus is squeezed unevenly by Saturn’s gravitational pull and deforms from a spherical shape into a football shape and back again. […]

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

The Surface Of Enceladus Shields Buried Organics

by Keith CowingDecember 18, 2023December 18, 2023

The Saturnian moon Enceladus presents a unique opportunity in our Solar System to search for evidence of life, given its habitable ocean and plume that deposits organic-bearing ocean material onto […]

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.

NASA/ESA/CSA's James Webb Space Telescope’s exquisite sensitivity and highly specialised instruments are revealing details into how one of Saturn’s moon’s feeds the water supply for the entire system of the ringed planet. Larger image -- ESA/NASA

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

Webb Space Telescope Maps Surprisingly Large Plume Jetting From Saturn’s Moon Enceladus

by Keith CowingMay 30, 2023May 30, 2023

A water vapour plume from Saturn’s moon Enceladus spanning more than 9600 kilometres — long enough to stretch across the Eurasian continent from Ireland to Japan — has been detected […]

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Could Life Be Found On Saturn’s Moon Enceladus?

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2023March 3, 2023

What can we learn about NASA Cassini spacecraft’s discovery of tiny particles from the icy ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus? What is causing these nanometer-sized silica grains to rise up […]

Astrogeology, Enceladus, Icy Worlds, Press Release

How Enceladus Ejects Particles From Oceans Beneath Its Surface

by Keith CowingFebruary 23, 2023February 23, 2023

Although it is relatively small, Enceladus — the sixth largest of Saturn’s 83 moons — has been considered by astronomers to be one of the more compelling bodies in our […]

Europa, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

In-situ Detection Of Europa’s Water Plumes Is Harder Than Previously Thought

by Keith CowingFebruary 14, 2023February 14, 2023

Europa’s subsurface ocean is a potential candidate for life in the outer solar system. It is thought that plumes may exist which eject ocean material out into space, which may […]

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Whispers From The Deep Sea: The Subtle Sounds Of Hydrothermal Vents

by Keith CowingJanuary 17, 2023January 17, 2023

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents host unique life that survives without sunlight, and they play a significant role in the cycle of heat, water, and chemicals within the ocean.

Icy Worlds

The Importance of Plumes

by Keith CowingApril 10, 2014

The Hubble Space Telescope is famous for finding black holes. It can pick out thousands of galaxies in a patch of sky the size of a thumbprint. The most powerful […]