Dhaka, Jan. 12 -- Europa, one of Jupiter's moons long considered a promising site for extraterrestrial life, may not have the conditions necessary to support life, according to a new study. Despite its vast subsurface ocean, scientists say the moon's rocky seafloor is too rigid to allow tectonic or volcanic activity that could generate essential nutrients and chemical energy.

Europa is unique in the solar system because it possesses liquid water, organic compounds on its icy surface, and energy from Jupiter's strong gravitational pull. Its salty ocean is believed to contain nearly twice the volume of all Earth's oceans combined. However, researchers found that cracks or fractures on the seafloor are likely minimal, limiting the chemical ...