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--------------------------- - 1942 - What is the earliest life on Earth
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- Discovered in northern Quebec was evidence of the earliest life forms that inhabited the newborn planet 4.28 billion years ago. These tiny hematite tubes are a fraction of the size of an eyelash. Hematite is a very common mineral, iron oxide, Fe2O.
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- These tubes are similar to life forms found around undersea , hydrothermal vents. Microbial mats found in Greenland were the previous earliest traces of life dated at 3.7 billion years ago.
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- Warm, waters, mineral-rich environments have been found on the seafloors of icy moons around other planets in our Solar System. The powering of hydrothermal vents can be caused by “ serpentinization”. Where water circulates through porous , silicate-rich rock generating megavolts of power. Besides heat these reactions produce hydrogen and methane gas,. Other organic compounds produced as well could sustain the life of microbes. The is the same process that could have been the birthplace of living organisms on Earth.
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- Heat from radioisotopes, serpentinization, and tidal forces on Enceladus and Europa could just create this same environment. Subsurface oceans could exist on Jupiter’s moons, Ganymede and Callisto, or, Saturn’s moons Titan and Mimas. Even Pluto could create an environment for primitive life.
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- Pluto has a flat basin that is 560 by 800 miles area. It is filled with nitrogen ice that is 1.8 to 6 miles thick. Beneath that ice could reside a liquid ocean. Ammonia compounds in the water could act as antifreeze, maintaining the liquid will below water’s freezing point. Could this cold, salty , viscous ocean even produce life?
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- The Earth is 4.5 billion years old. So at 5% of this age the Earth geology began to cool enough for biology to establish itself. In 2008 rocks collected along the eastern shore of Hudson Bay were created from ancient vents that once spilled lava onto the seafloor. These tiny fossils were tucked among the crystals imbedded in these rocks.
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- Were the structures the result of a metabolism process or the imprint of a biological process. These structures are similar to micro fossils 480 million years old present in ancient vents in present-day Norway. And, in 186 million year old vents in the mid-west, USA.
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- There is still much uncertainty about he age of these fossils and if they are truly biological. Much study remains. But, if they prove positive for life’s early evolution these would make the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn among the best places to search for life beyond Earth. Europa and Enceladus have direct evidence containing these same hydrothermal vents.
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- The Universe may have many different trees of life.
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- The Cassini spacecraft visit to Saturn’s moon Enceladus has shown there exists the same environment for life. Enceladus appears to have a sub-surface ocean beneath its frigid crust. The ocean may be over 6 miles deep. The ice layer is 21 miles thick.
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- Enceladus is the 6th largest moon of Saturn.
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- It is 311 miles in diameter, the Moon is 2,159 miles in diameter.
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- Enceladus has an icy, reflective surface. In 2005 Cassini discovered frozen water vapor erupting as plumes into the atmosphere, called cyrovolcanoes.
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- These plumes were discovered to contain simple organic compounds. These are the elements necessary for life. The moon has internal heating created by either tidal friction or by radioactivity. Enceladus can not rely on solar energy but by creating its own heat through tidal or radioactivity could create a habitat for life.
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- Jupiter’s moon Europa is another great candidate to cradle life. Europa icy surface with red-staining indicates briny waters below. Salt water mixed with sulfur. Tidal forces or gravitational flexing create the chaotic landscape on the surface. Europe orbits Jupiter every 85 hours.
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- This underground ocean would have twice a much water as Earth’s oceans. The water ocean is just 1 to 15 miles below the icy shell. The tidal friction is real on the Earth as well. The oceans will slow down Earth’s rotation making the day 2 milliseconds longer in the next 100 years. This loss in lunar tidal energy will push the moon’s orbit out by 4 meters. The same thing is happening to Enceladus and Europa oceans.
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- Even Saturn’s moon Dione is 634 miles diameter, twice as large as Enceladus , has a crust 62 miles thick and a global ocean 20 to 60 miles deep. These is much more to learn about the oceans composition and life hosting qualities . What has God wrought?
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- Note : Request any of the Reviews by number to learn more.
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- (1) Enceladus reviews #1786 , #957, #1362, #1166 .
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