Hidden Ocean on Uranus’ Moon Ariel? JWST Brings New Insights

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have made a groundbreaking discovery about Ariel, one of Uranus’ moons. The findings suggest that Ariel may have a hidden subsurface ocean of liquid water, which could explain the unusual amounts of carbon dioxide ice on its surface.
Typically, at Uranus’ distance from the sun, carbon dioxide would exist as a gas and escape into space. Previous theories suggested that Ariel’s carbon dioxide was replenished through radiolysis, involving interactions between the moon’s surface and charged particles from Uranus’ magnetosphere. However, JWST’s new data points to a different source: Ariel’s interior.
JWST’s spectral analysis revealed that Ariel has some of the most carbon dioxide-rich deposits in the solar system, along with carbon monoxide deposits that should not be stable at the moon’s average surface temperature of around 65°F (18°C). This indicates that carbon monoxide is likely replenished from a liquid water ocean beneath Ariel’s icy crust.
Most of the carbon oxides on Ariel’s surface could be produced by chemical processes in this subsurface ocean, then escape through cracks in the icy shell or be ejected by cryovolcanic plumes. The discovery of carbonite minerals, which form when rock interacts with liquid water, further supports the presence of a hidden ocean.
These findings underscore the need for a dedicated mission to explore the Uranian system, as highlighted by the 2023 Planetary Science and Astrobiology decadal survey. Such a mission could yield valuable insights into Uranus, Neptune, and their potentially ocean-bearing moons, with implications for understanding extrasolar planets.
The research, published in *The Astrophysical Journal Letters* on July 24, emphasizes the intriguing nature of the Uranian system and the importance of future exploration to reveal its secrets.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *