While icy celestial bodies might seem permanently frozen, planetary scientists understand that these worlds are subject to change over time. Europa, one of Jupiter’s largest moons, is no exception. Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) indicate that the moon’s icy surface is continuously evolving.

Dr. Ujjwal Raut, from the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI), has reported on the changes observed in JWST data. europa’s surface contains both amorphous and crystalline ice, suggesting an active water source, such as a subsurface ocean, and ongoing geological processes. These changes appear to occur rapidly, within approximately two weeks in certain areas.

“Our data showed strong indications that what we are seeing must be sourced from the interior,perhaps from a subsurface ocean nearly 20 miles (30 kilometers) beneath Europa’s thick icy shell,” said Raut. “This region of fractured surface materials could point to geologic processes pushing subsurface materials up from below. When we see evidence of CO₂ at the surface, we think it must have come from an ocean below the surface. The evidence for a liquid ocean underneath Europa’s icy shell is mounting, which makes this so exciting as we continue to learn more.”

Europa’s Dynamic Processes

Europa, a Galilean moon, orbits close to Jupiter and is subject to intense radiation due to its location within the planet’s magnetic field. the moon is tidally locked, always presenting the same face to Jupiter.Its internal structure consists of a rocky and metallic core, an ocean, and a relatively young icy shell, estimated to be no more then 180 million years old, indicating internal resurfacing. Spectral analyses from JWST reveal variations in ice crystallization across the surface. Typically, water ice forms hexagonal