Giant spikes of ice may stud Europa

摘要

Europa's frozen landscape could be treacherous territory for future landers. Jagged spires of ice may stud the Jovian moon's equator, scientists report October 8 in Nature Geoscience. These structures, called penitentes, could reach heights of 15 meters and occur roughly every 7.5 meters, computer simulations show, potentially making parts of the moon hazardous for future missions. "All kinds of interesting things might be on the surface" of Europa, says Jeff Moore, a planetary geologist at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. "You'd want to know about them if you wanted to send a lander."