Europa's buried ocean may stay sealed from spacecraft exploration

New research led by planetary scientist Lujendra Ojha at Rutgers University suggests water from Europa's buried ocean may not reach shallow, detectable layers, complicating NASA's Europa Clipper mission. Computer simulations show rising water freezes in icy fractures within hours, so shallow pools are likely local melting, not direct ocean samples. Findings could reshape how scientists interpret data when Clipper arrives in 2030 and ESA's JUICE in 2031.