Europa's Fresh Surface Hints at a Hidden Ocean

Europa’s surface is unusually crater-free, implying a young, constantly renewed ice crust. Tidal heating from Jupiter sustains internal warmth, likely keeping a global salty ocean beneath the ice; ridges, chaos terrain and possible plumes point to ongoing resurfacing that erases craters. The Europa Clipper and ESA’s JUICE missions will map the ice and probe for direct ocean evidence to test these ideas.