A recent study led by scholars from the Paris Observatory has revealed the presence of a young ocean beneath the icy surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus. The findings have been published online in Nature. According to reports, Associate Professor Zhang Qingfeng from the Department of Computer Science at Jinan University's School of Information Science and Technology participated in the research and provided relevant Cassini spacecraft measurement data.
Schematic diagram of the interior of Saturn's moon, Enceladus. The upper layer is an ice shell, the middle layer is a global liquid ocean, and the interior is a rocky core. Created by the IMCCE at the Paris Observatory, image provided by Zhang Qingfeng.
Under the sponsorship of the National Natural Science Foundation, Zhang Qingfeng participated in the work of an international research team led by the renowned scholar Valery Lainey at the Paris Observatory. They simulated the internal structure of Enceladus using a dynamic model based on high-precision Cassini astrometric data. The results indicate that beneath Enceladus' icy crust lies a global ocean, originating approximately 20-30 kilometers underground, likely dating back no earlier than 20 million years ago.
"The presence of an underground ocean on Saturn's moon Enceladus is a significant scientific question," Zhang Qingfeng explained. Unlike oceans found on other celestial bodies, Enceladus' ocean is young and relatively recently formed. This discovery has made Enceladus an exceptional location for studying the interaction and evolution of water and rocks on icy celestial bodies.
This research opens up broader horizons for exploring extraterrestrial life. It also underscores the importance of high-precision astronomical measurements in understanding the internal structures of celestial bodies.
Related paper information: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06975-9
