Inside the Historic Mission to Europa

摘要

The first dives to the dark and deep places of our planet revealed a moonscape. Beneath icy waters and far from the Sun's nourishing light, the planet appeared dead. No plants. No photosynthesis. No photons. But then scientists in submarines began exploring Earth's single greatest mountain range, the Mid-Oceanic Ridge, which occupies almost a quarter of our world's surface. Explorers like Robert Ballard call this great rift the Boundary of Creation. Here, our planet bleeds molten blood through some 10,000 active volcanoes and then cools to heal itself.