OCEAN

The Importance of My Job

Congratulations, you have been chosen as the Ocean officer for this important mission. Your job is to analyze features of Europa’s surface in order to learn more about Jupiter’s icy moon and to help the Remote team determine the best impact location for the probe. You will also analyze spectrometer readings to determine element composition.

You will need to follow every step on this page, without skipping a single step. If you find at any point that the readings from the spacecraft are not safe, you must inform the crew! Do not begin the first step until told to do so by the Mission Commander.

You will be communicating with other teams using the CHAT at the bottom of the screen. Make sure you use the drop down menu to select the correct team you want to send the message to.  Once you have typed it in the CHAT, make sure to hit Enter so that the team receives it.

 

ICE SHELL RESEARCH

Follow these directions for researching Europa’s ice shell:

 

  1. Read the notes from the previous OCEAN officer by clicking on the box labeled NOTES.
    NOTES

    Scientists estimate that Europa’s outer icy shell is 10 to 15 miles (15 to 25 kilometers) thick and sits atop a briny (salty) ocean of liquid water. Unlike Earth’s rocky crust, Europa’s surface is almost entirely rock-hard water ice with a small fraction of briny material and perhaps organics mixed in. If Europa’s exterior is being deformed by forces acting on its ice shell (what scientists refer to as being “tectonically active”), then ocean material may be able to reach the moon’s surface and vice versa. Scientists have measured Europa’s temperature to never reach higher than -160℃ (-256F) at the surface.”

    Below the list of steps there is a ICE SHELL DATA LOG. In this ICE SHELL DATA LOG, you will be typing and recording the number readings the Mission Commander will give you in the future.

    2. Complete the ICE SHELL RESEARCH DATA LOG by answering the questions. Click “Submit” when you are finished.

    ICE SHELL RESEARCH DATA LOG

    OPEN DATA LOG

    ICE SHELL

    Follow these directions for analyzing Europa’s ice shell:

    1. Locate the CHAT and send the following message to “COM”:

    The OCEAN team has a message for the Mission Commander. Please send the ice thickness for the possible probe landing sites as soon as possible.


    2. Read the information on water and its phases by clicking on the box labeled WATER.

    WATER

    Water on Earth normally freezes at 0℃ and boils at 100℃. Therefore, liquid water on Earth exists at a temperature between 0℃ and 100℃. However, characteristics of the environment and of the water can change these temperatures. Pressure in the environment and the salt content of the water can both change the temperature range of liquid water. For example, ocean water on Earth freezes at about -2℃. Europa is believed to have a very salty liquid ocean below the icy shell. Based on the information known about Europa, the ocean is likely to be in the range of -4℃ to 0℃.

    6. Once the Mission Commander has given you the ice thicknesses for the three possible impact sites, enter the data into the ICE SHELL DATA LOG. 

    ICE SHELL DATA LOG

    OPEN DATA LOG

    PROBE IMPACT SITE

    Follow these directions for making a recommendation for the PROBE IMPACT SITE:

    1. Based on the ice thicknesses and your research, determine which location will aid in learning more about Europa and the possibility of finding life on Jupiter’s moon. Record your answer in the PROBE IMPACT SITE DATA LOG. Refer to the ICE SHELL DATA LOG for the data sent by the Mission Commander. Click “Submit” after determining the recommended impact site.

    PROBE IMPACT SITE DATA LOG

    OPEN DATA LOG

    PROBE IMPACT SITE CONT.

     

    Follow these directions for making a recommendation for the PROBE IMPACT SITE:

     1. Share your findings with the Remote team by sending the following message to the REM team in the CHAT:

    The OCEAN team has a message for the REM team. According to the data collected by the Mission Commander, the recommended probe impact location is __________.

     2. Send the following message to “EVERYONE”: 

    This is the OCEAN team. We have completed our primary objective.

     3. Once this is completed, continue in your task cards to the SPECTROSCOPY RESEARCH section.

    SPECTROSCOPY RESEARCH

    Follow these directions for researching and analyzing SPECTROSCOPY

    1. Read the notes from the previous OCEAN officer by clicking on the box labeled NOTES.
      NOTES

      Spectroscopy is used in astronomy and remote sensing (collecting information about an object without making physical contact with the object) on Earth. Most research telescopes have spectrographs. Atoms and molecules have unique spectra that can be used to detect, identify, and quantify information about the atoms and molecules. The measured spectra are used to determine the chemical composition and physical properties of astronomical objects (such as their temperature and velocity).

      Below the list of steps there is a SPECTROSCOPY DATA LOG. In this SPECTROSCOPY DATA LOG, you will be typing and recording the number readings the Mission Commander will give you in the future.

      2. Complete the SPECTROSCOPY RESEARCH DATA LOG by answering the questions. Click “Submit” when you are finished.

       

      SPECTROSCOPY RESEARCH DATA LOG

      OPEN DATA LOG

      SPECTROSCOPY DATA

      ATTENTION: IF THE PROBE HAS NOT BEEN LAUNCHED STOP HERE. YOU MAY CONTINUE AFTER THE PROBE IS LAUNCHED.

      Follow these directions to complete an analysis of the spectroscopy data collected by the probe:

      1. Send the following message to “COM”:

      The OCEAN team has a message for the Mission Commander. Please send the download code for the spectroscopy data from the probe as soon as possible.


      2. Read the information on element spectra by clicking on the box labeled SPECTRA.

      SPECTRA

      An emission spectrum occurs when the atoms and molecules in a hot gas emit light at certain wavelengths, causing bright lines to appear in a spectrum. The pattern of these lines is unique for each element. We can see emission spectra from comets, nebula and certain types of stars. Below is a sample emission spectrum for hydrogen.

      The red and blue lines that you see within the full rainbow of colors is the signature of hydrogen that scientists use in spectroscopy. You will be looking at a spectrometer reading of Europa’s atmosphere to identify the composition. You will use the image below to compare the probe results and determine the most abundant gas on Europa’s surface.

       

       3. Once the Mission Commander has given you the download code for the spectroscopy data from the probe, complete the SPECTROSCOPY DATA LOG. Click “Submit” when you are finished. 

      SPECTROSCOPY DATA LOG

      OPEN DATA LOG

      1. Send the following message to “EVERYONE”:

      The OCEAN team has completed all their tasks.

      2. Wait quietly for any further instructions.