Supersonic plumes of water erupt from Saturn's moon raising hopes of micro life under surface

By Daily Mail Reporter

Huge plumes of water vapor and ice particles are spewing from Saturn's moon Enceladus at supersonic speeds, scientists report.

When the Cassini spacecraft flew through a gigantic geyser of dust and gas close to the surface of Enceladus, it collected samples of ice and gas.

Astronomers say the plumes may be erupting from an underground ocean, which would make Enceladus the third place in the solar system suspected to support life, even if only microbial organisms.

Geyser-like eruptions of ice particles and water vapor shoot from the south pole of Saturn's moon, Enceladus

'There are only three places in the solar system we know or suspect to have liquid water near the surface - Earth, Jupiter's moon Europa and now Saturn's Enceladus,’ Joshua Colwell, one of the researchers at the University of Central Florida, said.

‘Water is a basic ingredient for life and there are certain implications there,’ he added.
Images taken by the Cassini spacecraft in 2005 revealed huge gysers shooting from fissures in the south pole of Enceladus, reminiscent of the famed Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park in the United States but on a grand scale.

But the latest mission suggest that the gas and dust are spewing at more than 1,300 mph - faster than sound - making the case that Saturn is hiding a reservoir of liquid water.

The ridged icy surface of Enceladus was captured by Cassini during a flyby last month

Data from Cassini's Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph instrument, a high-tech imaging instrument, suggest that cracks extend below the surface and act as nozzles that channel water vapor from an underground liquid water reservoir.

Focusing the instrument at a distant flickering star also showed that the water vapours – which intermittently blocked its starlight – form narrow jets as they blast into space.

'We think liquid water is necessary for life and there is more evidence that there is liquid water there,' said lead researcher Candice Hansen of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

'You also need energy, you need nutrients, you need organics. It looks like the pieces are there. Whether or not there's actually life, of course, we can't say.'

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World’s Rarest Gorilla Gets Protection in New National Park in Cameroon

Written by Derek Markham

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the government of Cameroon have just created a new national park to preserve habitat for the Cross River gorilla, the world’s most endangered great ape.

Besides the Cross River gorillas, the 261 square mile Takamanda National Park will also protect populations of forest elephants, chimpanzees, and a rare primate and close relative of the mandrill, the drill.

Takamanda also forms part of a trans-boundary protected area with Cross River National Park in Nigeria, safeguarding about 115 gorillas (a third of the Cross River gorilla population). Trans-boundary protected areas allow species to roam freely between nations.

“The Government of Cameroon is to be commended for taking this step in saving the Cross River gorilla for future generations. By forming this national park, Cameroon sends a powerful message about the importance of conservation.” - Dr. Steven E. Sanderson, President and CEO of WCS

The Cross River gorilla, the rarest of the four gorilla subspecies, is threatened by habitat destruction caused by farming and road-building, as well as hunting by bushmeat hunters. The other subspecies are the western lowland gorillas, eastern lowland or “Grauer’s” gorillas, and mountain gorillas. WCS is the only conservation group working to safeguard the four subspecies, all classified as “critically endangered” or “endangered” by the IUCN Red List.

Funding for the creation of Takamanda National Park comes from a partnership between the Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and the German Development Bank as part of a 5-year funding program that protects key conservation areas through collaboration with southwest Cameroon communities. The initiative is also supported by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), and the German Development Service (DED).

“This represents a huge step in ensuring a future for the world’s rarest great ape. Making this former forest reserve a national park will effectively protect these gorillas and will continue the conservation partnership between Cameroon and Nigeria.” - Dr. James Deutsch, Director of WCS-Africa

The creation of Takamanda represents years of work by WCS and the Cameroon Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, including baseline surveys of gorillas and other large mammals, agreements with local communities, recommendations for upgrading the reserve to park status, and establishment of trans-boundary activities with the Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park in Nigeria.

Source: Wildlife Conservation Society

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