The phrase
"water plumes" refers to streams or jets of water shooting up from a source, like a fountain or geyser.
Full definition
However, Pappalardo — and even the researchers behind a new study of Hubble's images, which will be published in The Astrophysical Journal — could not say the photos prove the existence
of water plumes at Europa.
The most possible cause, according to researchers, for the observed water vapor traces around Europa is the presence of erupting
water plumes on the moon's surface, not unlike those that have been directly observed on Saturn's moon Enceladus by the Cassini spacecraft.
Despite his inherent skepticism about the evidence, Pappalardo and other researchers hope
water plumes at Europa do exist.
The grainy Hubble photos, taken in 2014,
suggest water plumes sprayed 125 miles into space on at least three occasions over 15 months, then rained back down on the surface.
Under the icy surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus, a liquid ocean
launches water plumes through the cracks.
Never mind that this would be easily traceable by ocean carbon chemistry, with low
pH water plumes streaming from the ridge crests.
A new look at old data is giving scientists a fresh reason to view Europa, a moon of Jupiter, as a leading candidate in the search for life beyond Earth, with evidence of
water plumes shooting into space.
Emanating from cracks in the ice at Enceladus» south pole,
these water plumes gush into space at speeds up to 800 mph.
However, there are currently no extraterrestrial missions planning to hunt for virions in
the water plumes on Jupiter's moon Europaor the jets of Enceladus.