Jupiter's Europa May Hold Life Similar to the Microorgismisms Arctic in a fjord in Canada
With Jupiter's icy moon 'Europa' last proven to be able to sustain earth-life due to its high water content (containing twice the liquid water of all earth's oceans combined) and levels of oxygen, according to Phys.org, researchers are currently trying to find existing life on the moon, to support this basis.
It has been reported today that the landscape of Europa is similar to a fjord in Canada, scientists suggest. It consists of a frozen and sulphurous environment, where sulphur associated with Arctic bacteria offer clues for the upcoming missions in the search for traces of life on Europa.
Additionally, researchers have verified that the sulphur involved in the life cycle pf Arctic microorganisms has some characteristics that can aid on the search for biological remains on Europa. According to a press release published by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), NASA and the European Space Agency are already in the process of preparing missions to the moon.
Damhnait Gleeson, lead author of the study, published in the Astrobiology journal, and currently a member of the Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA-CSIC, Spain) explains that elemental sulphur (S) can contain morphological, mineralogical and organic 'biosignatures' linked to bacterial activity that found on Europa would suggest the possible presence of microorganisms and perhaps even a sustainable environment for larger organisms such as animals and humans, as reported by FECYT.
Gleeson also asserts that these organisms use sulphur as their source of energy like we do oxygen. Further study on the habits of these organisms can garner interesting habits, and evolution characteristics.