Earlier, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America published the results of the study conducted by the international team of scientists headed by the Chinese scientist Hao Zhihua, a researcher at the China University of Science and Technology.
According to the hypothesis of the scientific team, the ocean on Saturn’s moon may be rich in phosphorous. Previously, scientists believed that Enceladus was unsuitable for life, due to a lack of phosphorous, an indispensable element in bones, cell membranes and the DNA of living organisms.
During the study, the researchers designed a model of the interaction between the rocks and the ocean water under the ice layer.
“The ocean water on the moon appears to be highly alkaline and devoid of oxygen, reminiscent of the carbonated water people drink on Earth,” says Hao Zhighua.
According to him, it takes more than 100,000 years to dissolve the phosphorous contained in the rocks of Enceladus in these waters. Enceladus is believed to have existed for more than 100 million years.
“This means that the ocean water is rich in phosphorous,” he added.