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    Scientists think Europa’s ice shell is 10 to 15 miles (15 to 25 kilometers) thick, floating on an ocean 40 to 100 miles (60 to 150 kilometers) deep. So while Europa is only one-fourth the diameter of Earth, its ocean may contain twice as much water as Earth’s global ocean.
    Greenberg, for instance, believes Europa’s constant tidal flexing generates enough heat to maintain both a liquid ocean and a thin ice crust. “The tides on Europa distort the shape of the body once every 85 hours,” says Greenberg, “so Europa gets enough tidal heating from Jupiter to maintain both a liquid ocean and a thin crust.
    Slightly smaller than Earth's Moon, Europa’s water-ice surface is crisscrossed by long, linear fractures, cracks, ridges and bands. The moon’s ice shell is probably 10 to 15 miles (15 to 25 kilometers) thick, beneath which the ocean is estimated to be 40 to 100 miles (60 to 150 kilometers) deep.
    The cracks are caused by the tidal pull of the gas giant Jupiter, which squeezes Europa like a tennis ball. Greenberg believes that Europa’s ice is only a few kilometers thick, and that the cracks reach down to the ocean below. If true, the tidal motion of Europa’s ocean periodically would push water up and down in the cracks.
  2. Juno Provides High-Definition Views of Europa’s Icy Shell