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New evidence suggests that Uranus' moon Ariel may have a liquid ocean beneath its icy surface. This discovery opens up new possibilities
In the confines of Solar system, a new mystery intrigues scientists: Uranus' moon Ariel may hide a liquid ocean beneath its frozen surface.
Recent evidence suggests that Ariel's deep chasms may be portals to investigate its interior, offering clues about the processes geological that occur far from human sight.
Abysses that reveal inner mysteries of Uranus' moon
The surface of Ariel It presents deep chasms marked by parallel grooves, characteristics that intrigue researchers.
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These grooves, considered some of the youngest formations on the moon, may have been caused by spreading processes — a phenomenon similar to what occurs at volcanic ridges on Earth, where material from the Earth's interior emerges and forms new crust.
According to the planetary geologist Chloe Beddingfield, Johns Hopkins University, these chasms are the best bet for investigating carbon dioxide deposits and exploring the moon’s interior.”No other surface features show evidence of facilitating the movement of materials from within Ariel, which makes this discovery particularly exciting.“, says Beddingfield.
Planet. Sci. J. , 2025)
A process similar to that of Earth
Using formation models and observational data, Beddingfield and his team demonstrated that the scattering process could be responsible for the observed marks.
When simulating the closing of the chasms, the edges fit perfectly, indicating that materials were deposited over time, as occurs in oceanic spreading zones on Earth.
This process may be the result of tectonic forces driven by the moon’s internal heating. In the past, Uranus’ moons, including Ariel, have experienced orbital resonances—gravitational alignments that cause internal melting and refreezing. This heating cycle may have created conditions for a subsurface ocean.
Evidence of a hidden ocean
Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) strongly suggest the presence of a liquid ocean in Ariel.
This ocean, if confirmed, could be responsible for the carbon dioxide deposits detected in the depths of the moon. However, many questions remain open.
Beddingfield points out that it is not yet known whether these deposits are directly linked to the grooves, since the images from the Voyager 2 probe, which visited Uranus in 1986, did not have adequate instruments to map the distribution of the ice. “There is a lot we don’t know,” he comments.
"The size of Ariel's possible ocean and its depth below the surface can only be estimated, but it may be too isolated to interact with spreading centers.”, He stated.
The next step
The findings at Ariel reinforce the need for new missions to explore Uranus and its moons. Despite growing interest, no dedicated missions have been launched since Voyager 2's flyby.
The researchers argue that investigating these formations could be crucial to understanding the internal processes not only of Ariel, but of other icy bodies in the Solar System.
The possibility of a hidden ocean on Ariel opens new perspectives for space exploration and for understanding the habitability of distant moons.
With technological advances, such as the James Webb Telescope, and a possible future mission to Uranus, scientists hope to reveal the mysteries hidden beneath the ice of this enigmatic moon.
The time is right for space agencies to prioritize this exploration and expand our knowledge of the hidden oceans beyond Earth.
The research was published in The Planetary Science Journal.
