And according to the British newspaper, “Daily Mail”, researchers believe, the amount of oxygen being brought into the ocean of Europe could be equal to the amount found in Earth’s oceans today.
The theory had been proposed before, but experts led by the University of Texas at Austin put it to the test by building the world’s first physics computer simulation of the process.
“Our research puts this process into the realm of the possible,” said lead researcher Mark Hess, a professor in the University of Utah-Jackson’s School of Earth Sciences in the Department of Geosciences. “It provides a solution to what is considered one of the outstanding problems with habitability in Europe’s subsurface.”
Europe is the best place to look for aliens because scientists have discovered signs of oxygen and water, along with chemicals that can act as nutrients.
However, the Moon’s cryosphere about 15 miles (24 km) thick acts as a barrier between water and oxygen, which is generated by sunlight and charged particles from Jupiter hitting the icy surface.
A computer model created by the researchers showed what happens to the brine after the chaotic topography is formed, showing the brine draining in a distinct way, taking the form of a porous wave that causes the pores in the ice to widen temporarily, allowing the brine to pass through before sealing it again.
This method of transport appears to be an effective way to bring oxygen through the ice, as 86 percent of the oxygen is absorbed at the surface to ride the wave all the way to the ocean, the researchers said.