the world’s deepest hydrothermal vents: an analog for europa?
DESCRIPTION
Short presentation I gave to a group of USC studentsTRANSCRIPT
The world’s deepest hydrothermal vents: An analog for Europa?
Emma Versteegh Caltech postdoctoral scholar
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California InsCtute of Technology
© 2014 California InsCtute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged.
NASA/JPL
Europa
NASA/JPL Chyba & Hand (2001)
The world’s deepest: Mid-‐Cayman Rise
Jack Cook, WHOI NOAA Okeanos Explorer
Exploring the deep ocean
Advanced Imaging and VisualizaCon Laboratory, WHOI
h[p://www.nauCluslive.org/
Life without sunlight: Food producCon & where it comes from
Food = carbohydrates (Cm(H2O)n)
Photosynthesis makes carbohydrates: 6 CO2 + 12 H2O + sunlight → C6H12O6 + 6 H2O + 6 O2 Chemosynthesis also makes carbohydrates 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + 3 H2S → C6H12O6 + 3 H2SO4
Would work on Europa too • QuanCfy biomass expected? → look on Earth • How much new biomass/Cme? → food web
NAS
A/JPL/Ted Stryk
Stable isotopes in the food web Elements C, N & S Atoms of different weights FracConate in (bio)chemical processes You are what you eat
• +1 (δ13C ‰ vs. VPDB) • +3 (δ15N ‰ vs. AIR) • +? (δ34S ‰ vs. CDT)
Food web
Rimicaris hybisae dense
Rimicaris hybisae sparse
From the ocean to the laboratory
Shrimp δ13C, δ15N & δ34S values
Food web
Ongoing work
• Do they parCally rely on photosyntheCc carbon?
• Carbon and sulfur in basalts
• Deep sea corals: are they vent-‐related?
What about Europa?
• We help understand what kind of life might be there, and how much
• We help develop methods to detect life
h[p://w
ww.daviddarling.info/
NASA/JPL-‐Caltech/Space Science InsCtute