According to a new research, the icy shell of Jupiter’s moon Europa may have plate tectonics similar to those on Earth, which could have important implications for the possibility of life in the ocean thought to exist beneath the moon's surface.


Speaking on the development, the lead author of the study, Brandon Johnson said that they have evidence of this extension and spreading, which raises a question on where does the material go.
He further explained by saying that on Earth, the answer is subduction zones. So going by the same reasoning, subduction could be happening on Europa as well.
Moreover, Johnson added that the moon’s surface crust is enriched with oxidants and other chemical food for life and subduction provides a means for that food to come into contact with the subsurface, which ocean scientists think probably exists under Europa's ice.
"If indeed there's life in that ocean, subduction offers a way to supply the nutrients it would need," Johnson said.