Scientists have revealed surprising new information about Ariel, the moon of Uranus, the seventh planet in our solar system. They claim that there was once a vast and deep ocean inside this moon, which was about 160 kilometers or 100 miles deep.

A recently published study says that Ariel's past orbit was very extended. As a result, strong pressure was created inside and outside the moon, which gave rise to cracks on the surface. By analyzing images taken by the Voyager-2 spacecraft, scientists found that long valley-like cracks had formed between ancient craters—which clearly indicates that major geological changes had occurred inside the moon.

The study used computer modeling to show that Ariel's orbit had an eccentricity of about 0.04. That is, the orbit was not perfectly circular, but slightly oval. Because of this, the moon repeatedly encountered strong tidal forces while orbiting Uranus. That force cracks the ice inside the moon and changes its internal structure.

Scientists believe that Ariel's smooth plains were formed through a process called cryovolcanism. In this process, water, ice, and gaseous volatiles are released from the moon's interior like volcanic eruptions and spread to low-lying areas. This clearly indicates that Ariel's geological history was long and complex.

However, scientists still have questions about when this ocean was formed and how long it lasted. Because Ariel's surface has two types of regions - old and new. Experts estimate that its major changes occurred between 1 billion and 2 billion years ago.

At that time, the tidal heat inside Ariel was so strong that the ice began to melt and the meltwater flowed from there and created new structures on the surface. Even more surprisingly, scientists have also found the presence of ammonia compounds on the moon's surface. Since ammonia decays quickly, this indicates that ammonia played a role in maintaining the ocean for a long time by lowering the temperature in the region.

Tom Nordheim, a scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, said,

“We now have evidence that there were not one, but at least two oceans in the Uranian system.”

On the other hand, Alex Pathoff, a researcher at the Planetary Science Institute, said,

“The cracks and geological changes that we see on Ariel’s surface are absolutely essential for the formation of an ocean inside.”

This new research provides new ideas about the possibility of life not only on Uranus’ moon, but also on the entire solar system. Because an ocean means that there is a high probability that there will once be an environment suitable for life.

Source: Earth.com