Hydrothermal Vents on Ocean Worlds Could Support Life, UC Santa Cruz Study Finds
UC Santa Cruz researchers have found that lower-temperature hydrothermal vents, which are common on Earth's seafloor, may create conditions that support life on "ocean worlds" in our solar system. Ocean worlds are planets and moons with liquid oceans, often under ice or within their rocky interiors. Some of Jupiter's and Saturn's moons are considered ocean worlds. These moons have inspired