Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Implications of H2/CO2 disequilibrium for life on Enceladus

Nature Astronomy volume 6, pages 3–4 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

The combination of hydrogen and carbon dioxide in the ocean of Enceladus represents chemical energy that could support life — but should we expect to see any energy ‘left on the table’ if anything alive is actually there to use it?

Saturn’s moon Enceladus appears to have a global sub-surface water ocean that, based on all observations made thus far, is habitable with respect to Earth-like life1. One such observation is of co-occurring H2 and CO2 in the plumes of ice and gas that vent to space from the south polar region, and are thought to originate in the underlying ocean2.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Residual energy signatures in methanogenic systems on Earth and Enceladus.

References

  1. Cable, M. L. et al. Planet. Sci. J. 2, 132 (2021).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Waite, J. H. et al. Science 356, 155–159 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hoehler, T. M., Alperin, M. J., Albert, D. B. & Martens, C. S. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 38, 33–41 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Seewald, J. S. Science 356, 132–133 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Amend, J. P., Aronson, H. S., Macalady, J. & Larowe, D. E. Environ. Microbiol. 22, 1971–1976 (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Schönheit, P., Moll, J. & Thauer, R. K. Arch. Microbiol. 127, 59–65 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hoehler, T. M., Albert, D. B., Alperin, M. J. & Martens, C. S. Limnol. Oceanogr. 44, 662–667 (1999).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Wang, M. et al. Front. Microbiol. 7, 850 (2016).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Conrad, R., Schink, B. & Phelps, T. J. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 2, 353–360 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Jabłoński, S., Rodowicz, P. & Łukaszewicz, M. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Biol. 65, 1360–1368 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA

    Tori M. Hoehler

Authors
  1. Tori M. Hoehler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tori M. Hoehler.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hoehler, T.M. Implications of H2/CO2 disequilibrium for life on Enceladus. Nat Astron 6, 3–4 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01583-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-021-01583-x

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing