hypothesis

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A Websearch My hypothesis: Europa has multicellular life similar to the lifeforms that exist on Earth in submarine hydrothermal environments

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Europa - liquid water beneath the icy surface? Good evidence for it... The Background

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You know, of course, what salt water means. "One could expect life in such oceans," said geophysicist Krishan Khurana, the lead author of the research.

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Evidence from study of electromagnetic fields around Europa

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This new evidence is quite convincing. Taken with all the other data brought to bear on the question of liquid H20 under the ice of Europa’s surface, it appears highly probable that there is a Europan ocean.

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http://jumpy.igpp.ucla.edu/~nims/EUROPA_SALTS.HTML

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Evidence of Salt Deposits Because the size of the salt bands on Europa’s surface are continuous and stretch across much of the moon, he added, they add to evidence that a salty ocean is below the ice.

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Futuristic mission that drills thru the ice and releases the Hydrobot What are these “smoking” things??

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How the smokers form ...

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Mid-Ocean Ridges and Seamounts

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Giant tubeworms at the hydrothermal vents

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Inside a Tubeworm No digestive system but symbiosis with hydrogen sulfide eating microbes

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Some biologists: a vent-like environment was the place where life on Earth likely got its start. And if … here, why not on other planets that have the necessary ingredients, including heat, water, and the right mix of chemicals? Need some good info on Europa …

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Galileo at Jupiter

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Europa Flyby

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Let’s start our search … is there evidence for a hydrothermal environment on Europa?

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Reasoning from Analogy: the Volcanism of Io

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Ra Patera: Plume 100 km high!

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Interior of Europa

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+ = ?

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Europaio Volcanism on the ocean floor?

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Remember: we’re looking for Hydrothermal on Europa

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Let’s go looking on the Internet ... for specific information ... about our idea Keywords Submarine Hydrothermal Geothermal Volcanism Hot Spots

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Infoseek Search engine

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Search “europa” 834,199 hits

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Search Within Results: “volcanism” 117 hits

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Using the Browser Find Command

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Using the Browser Find Command

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Keyword is found!

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Find Next: multiple instances

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A major purpose of the conference, then, will be to examine critically the arguments for and against submarine volcanism on Europa, and the likelihood that such activity could support biological activity there as well. A related and controversial topic is the issue of whether life can have originated at submarine volcanic systems, on Earth and on planets in general. The conference will bring together the planetary science, oceanography, and exobiology communities to explore these topics. Our first good Clue

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Next choice from Search engine: Nine Planets

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Second Find

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Try the Find command again

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Not much of a clue - it’s just a question So we’re not always going to find a clue …

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Fourth choice: “spurious” Find What does “spurious” mean ?

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No Problemo! Merriam- Webster … Online !

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Spurious means … FAKE or DECEPTIVE Main Entry: spu·ri·ous Pronunciation: 'spyur-E-&s Function: adjective 1 : outwardly similar or corresponding to something without having its genuine qualities : FALSE 2 a: of falsified or erroneously attributed origin : FORGED b : of a deceitful nature or quality - spu·ri·ous·ly adverb - spu·ri·ous·ness noun

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Both “europa” and “volcanism” occur in the article but not as a connected idea … Io’s Volcanism

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The reference to Europa has nothing to do with volcanoes ... How to look specifically for the phrase? Europa AND volcanism, together

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Use quotation marks: “europa volcanism” four results

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First Find: Callisto 10 flyby schedule of events ? use the Find command …

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Could this be the next clue? Galileo was scheduled to make an observation Note the SSI reference: Solid State Imaging

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All the Galileo images are here

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The What’s New is news since 1996 …

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Flyby was Sept 17, 1997

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Found in November: “Flow-like features” I just kept looking for “Europa” …

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Possible “flows” from ice volcanoes

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Closeup of flow area

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Wondered: “What *IS* an ice volcano? So … Search “ice volcano” phrase

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Earthian ice volcanoes

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Ice volcanoes reshape Europa’s surface

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More Flows

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But… unsatisfied… Ice volcanoes could be just from tidal heating What about specifically heat from Europa’s core, like the geothermal heat that is the energy source for Earth’s hydrothermal biologies.

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Remember: we’re looking for Hydrothermal on Europa

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Search “submarine volcano” - europa

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Only a few sites came out of the search and these repeatedly cited one person’s name over and over: John Delaney, oceanographer at Washington State University Did search on “john delaney” ...

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John Delaney’s email

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So I wrote him an email … ASK AN EXPERT!

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Will I get an answer from Dr. Delaney about submarine volcanoes on Europa? Watch the Xlife Website (News) for this …

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“Other evidence not yet interpreted publicly by NASA… nearly unequivocal evidence for submarine volcanism” I kept looking and looking … and found some provocative suggestions

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UNEQUIVOCAL - Clear, Unambigous, Unquestionable

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San Jose Mercury News October 16, 1998 “Scattered about the surface are raised domes that may have been created when the ice over a “hot spot” thinned and water broke through …”

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“Internal heating of Europa may produce hydrothermal vents, similar to those on Earth known to harbor non-photosynthetic life forms.” -- Space and Earth Science Programs Directorate, NASA

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Nasa’s Europa Interior Closeup

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All of these hints made me take another look at the images that show volcanism on Europa

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A Trail of Hot Spots?

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Hawaii Islands and the Hot Spot

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So what do you think?

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What do YOU think ? LIFE ON EUROPA?

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Europa Orbiter 2003

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Using an instrument called a radar sounder to bounce radio waves through the ice, the Europa Orbiter sciencecraft would be able to detect an ice-water interface, perhaps as little as 1 km below the surface. Other instruments would reveal details of the surface and interior processes. This mission would be a precursor mission to sending "hydrobots" or remote controlled submarines that could melt through the ice and explore the undersea realm.

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Europa Orbiter Science Objectives

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Maybe some day, one of your great grandchildren will get a post card ...

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Greetings from Europa!