In 2014, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) discovered a hydrothermal vent in the Arctic Ocean and called it the Aurora hydrothermal system. A follow-up expedition to the site, five years later, has revealed that the hydrothermal system could hold clues to finding life on other planets and their moons, a press release said.
Hydrothermal vents on ocean floors aren't a new thing. Oceanographers can list hundreds of such vents in each major ocean of the world. Therefore, when the WHOI researchers found the Aurora Hydrothermal vent, they returned, assuming it to be one more such vent with a massive ice cover.
However, a follow-up visit to the site revealed much more about the vent and how it could help scientists look for signs of life on Jupiter's moon Europa and the Saturnian moon Enceladus since they post boast subsurface oceans.
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