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1.
Although it is mostly accepted that the lower part of the ice shell of Europa is actively convective, there is still much uncertainty about the flow mechanism dominating the rheology of this convective layer, which largely depends on the grain size of the ice. In this work, we examined thermal equilibrium states in a tidally heated and strained convective shell, for two rheologies sensitive to grain size, grain boundary sliding and diffusion creep. If we take a lower limit of 70 mW m−2 for the surface heat flow, according to some geological features observed, the ice grain size should be less than 2 or 0.2 mm for grain boundary sliding or diffusion creep respectively. If in addition the thickness of the ice shell is constrained to a few tens of kilometers and it is assumed that the thickness of the convective layer is related to lenticulae spacing, then grain sizes between 0.2 and 2 mm for grain boundary sliding, and between 0.1 and 0.2 mm for diffusion creep are obtained. Also, local convective layer thicknesses deduced from lenticulae spacing are more similar to those here derived for grain boundary sliding. Our results thus favor grain boundary sliding as the dominant rheology for the water ice in Europa's convective layer, since this flow mechanism is able to satisfy the imposed constraints for a wider range of grain sizes.  相似文献   

2.
Lijie Han  Adam P. Showman 《Icarus》2011,212(1):262-267
We present self-consistent, fully coupled two-dimensional (2D) numerical models of thermal evolution and tidal heating to investigate how convection interacts with tidal dissipation under the influence of non-Newtonian grain-size-sensitive creep rheology (plausibly resulting from grain boundary sliding) in Europa’s ice shell. To determine the thermal evolution, we solved the convection equations (using finite-element code ConMan) with the tidal dissipation as a heat source. For a given heterogeneous temperature field at a given time, we determined the tidal dissipation rate throughout the ice shell by solving for the tidal stresses and strains subject to Maxwell viscoelastic rheology (using finite-element code Tekton). In this way, the convection and tidal heating are fully coupled and evolve together. Our simulations show that the tidal dissipation rate can have a strong impact on the onset of thermal convection in Europa’s ice shell under non-Newtonian GSS rheology. By varying the ice grain size (1-10 mm), ice-shell thickness (20-120 km), and tidal-strain amplitude (0-4 × 10−5), we study the interrelationship of convection and conduction regimes in Europa’s ice shell. Under non-Newtonian grain-size-sensitive creep rheology and ice grain size larger than 1 mm, no thermal convection can initiate in Europa’s ice shell (for thicknesses <100 km) without tidal dissipation. However, thermal convection can start in thinner ice shells under the influence of tidal dissipation. The required tidal-strain amplitude for convection to occur decreases as the ice-shell thickness increases. For grain sizes of 1-10 mm, convection can occur in ice shells as thin as 20-40 km with the estimated tidal-strain amplitude of 2 × 10−5 on Europa.  相似文献   

3.
Hauke Hussmann  Tilman Spohn 《Icarus》2004,171(2):391-410
Coupled thermal-orbital evolution models of Europa and Io are presented. It is assumed that Io, Europa, and Ganymede evolve in the Laplace resonance and that tidal dissipation of orbital energy is an internal heat source for both Io and Europa. While dissipation in Io occurs in the mantle as in the mantle dissipation model of Segatz et al. (1988, Icarus 75, 187), two models for Europa are considered. In the first model dissipation occurs in the silicate mantle while in the second model dissipation occurs in the ice shell. In the latter model, ice shell melting and variations of the shell thickness above an ocean are explicitly included. The rheology of both the ice and the rock is cast in terms of a viscoelastic Maxwell rheology with viscosity and shear modulus depending on the average temperature of the dissipating layer. Heat transfer by convection is calculated using a parameterization for strongly temperature-dependent viscosity convection. Both models are consistent with the present orbital elements of Io, Europa, and Ganymede. It is shown that there may be phases of quasi-steady evolution with large or small dissipation rates (in comparison with radiogenic heating), phases with runaway heating or cooling and oscillatory phases during which the eccentricity and the tidal heating rate will oscillate. Europa's ice thickness varies between roughly 3 and 70 km (dissipation in the silicate layer) or 10 and 60 km (dissipation in the ice layer), suggesting that Europa's ocean existed for geological timescales. The variation in ice thickness, including both convective and purely conductive phases, may be reflected in the formation of different geological surface features on Europa. Both models suggest that at present Europa's ice thickness is several tens of km thick and is increasing, while the eccentricity decreases, implying that the satellites evolve out of resonance. Including lithospheric growth in the models makes it impossible to match the high heat flux constraint for Io. Other heat transfer processes than conduction through the lithosphere must be important for the present Io.  相似文献   

4.
Ice-shell thickness and ocean depth are calculated for steady state models of tidal dissipation in Europa's ice shell using the present-day values of the orbital elements. The tidal dissipation rate is obtained using a viscoelastic Maxwell rheology for the ice, the viscosity of which has been varied over a wide range, and is found to strongly increase if an (inviscid) internal ocean is present. To determine steady state values, the tidal dissipation rate is equated to the heat-transfer rate through the ice shell calculated from a parameterized model of convective heat transfer or from a thermal conduction model, if the ice layer is found to be stable against convection. Although high dissipation rates and heat fluxes of up to 300 mWm−2 are, in principle, possible for Europa, these values are unrealistic because the states for which they are obtained are thermodynamically unstable. Equilibrium models have surface heat flows around 20 mWm−2 and ice-layer thicknesses around 30 km, which is significantly less than the total thickness of the H2O-layer. These results support models of Europa with ice shells a few tens of kilometers thick and around 100-km-thick subsurface oceans.  相似文献   

5.
Recent investigations into convection in Europa’s ice shell have been based on non-Newtonian (stress-dependent) or Newtonian (stress-independent) viscosity for water ice. However, despite the wide use of Newtonian convection, experimentally observed water ice flow is non-Newtonian, and analysis of stability against convection of the ice shell using updated flow laws has been only performed for non-Newtonian rheologies. Here we use the flow law proposed for diffusion creep to analyze the possibility of the onset of convection for Newtonian viscosity in relation to the thermal state of Europa. Our findings indicate that for diffusion creep convection might have started, but that significantly lower heat flows (and equivalently higher shell thicknesses) and/or grain sizes are required than for superplastic flow, which is the most probable flow mechanism if the ice shell is convective.  相似文献   

6.
Javier Ruiz 《Icarus》2005,177(2):438-446
The heat flow from Europa has profound implications for ice shell thickness and structure, as well as for the existence of an internal ocean, which is strongly suggested by magnetic data. The brittle-ductile transition depth and the effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere are here used to perform heat flow estimations for Europa. Results give preferred heat flow values (for a typical geological strain rate of 10−15 s−1) of 70-110 mW m−2 for a brittle-ductile transition 2 km deep (the usually accepted upper limit for the brittle-ductile transition depth in the ice shell of Europa), 24-35 mW m−2 for an effective elastic thickness of 2.9 km supporting a plateau near the Cilix impact crater, and >130 mW m−2 for effective elastic thicknesses of ?0.4 km proposed for the lithosphere loaded by ridges and domes. These values are clearly higher than those produced by radiogenic heating, thus implying an important role for tidal heating. The ?19-25 km thick ice shell proposed from the analysis of size and depth of impact structures suggests a heat flow of ?30-45 mW m−2 reaching the ice shell base, which in turn would imply an important contribution to the heat flow from tidal heating within the ice shell. Tidally heated convection in the ice shell could be capable to supply ∼100 mW m−2 for superplastic flow, and, at the Cilix crater region, ∼35-50 mW m−2 for dislocation creep, which suggests local variations in the dominant flow mechanism for convection. The very high heat flows maybe related to ridges and domes could be originated by preferential heating at special settings.  相似文献   

7.
Javier Ruiz  Rosa Tejero 《Icarus》2003,162(2):362-373
Two opposing models to explain the geological features observed on Europa’s surface have been proposed. The thin-shell model states that the ice shell is only a few kilometers thick, transfers heat by conduction only, and can become locally thinner until it exposes an underlying ocean on the satellite’s surface. According to the thick-shell model, the ice shell may be several tens of kilometers thick and have a lower convective layer, above which there is a cold stagnant lid that dissipates heat by conduction. Whichever the case, from magnetic data there is strong support for the presence of a layer of salty liquid water under the ice. The present study was performed to examine whether the possibility of convection is theoretically consistent with surface heat flows of ∼100-200 mW m−2, deduced from a thin brittle lithosphere, and with the typical spacing of 15-23 km proposed for the features usually known as lenticulae. It was obtained that under Europa’s ice shell conditions convection could occur and also account for high heat flows due to tidal heating of the convective (nearly isothermal) interior, but only if the dominant water ice rheology is superplastic flow (with activation energy of 49 kJ mol−1; this is the rheology thought dominant in the warm interior of the ice shell). In this case the ice shell would be ∼15-50 km thick. Furthermore, in this scenario explaining the origin of the lenticulae related to convective processes requires ice grain size close to 1 mm and ice thickness around 15-20 km.  相似文献   

8.
We investigate the response of conductive and convective ice shells on Europa to variations of heat flux and interior tidal-heating rate. We present numerical simulations of convection in Europa's ice shell with Newtonian, temperature-dependent viscosity and tidal heating. Modest variations in the heat flux supplied to the base of a convective ice shell, ΔF, can cause large variations of the ice-shell thickness Δδ. In contrast, for a conductive ice shell, large ΔF involves relatively small Δδ. We demonstrate that, for a fluid with temperature-dependent viscosity, the heat flux undergoes a finite-amplitude jump at the critical Rayleigh number Racr. This jump implies that, for a range of heat fluxes relevant to Europa, two equilibrium states—corresponding to a thin, conductive shell and a thick, convective shell—exist for a given heat flux. We show that, as a result, modest variations in heat flux near the critical Rayleigh number can force the ice shell to switch between the thin, conductive and thick, convective configurations over a ∼107-year interval, with thickness changes of up to ∼10-30 km. Depending on the orbital and thermal history, such switches might occur repeatedly. However, existing evolution models based on parameterized-convection schemes have to date not allowed these transitions to occur. Rapid thickening of the ice shell would cause radial expansion of Europa, which could produce extensional tectonic features such as fractures or bands. Furthermore, based on interpretations for how features such as chaos and ridges are formed, several authors have suggested that Europa's ice shell has recently undergone changes in thickness. Our model provides a mechanism for such changes to occur.  相似文献   

9.
Oceans in the icy Galilean satellites of Jupiter?   总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1  
Tilman Spohn  Gerald Schubert 《Icarus》2003,161(2):456-467
Equilibrium models of heat transfer by heat conduction and thermal convection show that the three satellites of Jupiter—Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto—may have internal oceans underneath ice shells tens of kilometers to more than a hundred kilometers thick. A wide range of rheology and heat transfer parameter values and present-day heat production rates have been considered. The rheology was cast in terms of a reference viscosity ν0 calculated at the melting temperature and the rate of change A of viscosity with inverse homologous temperature. The temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity k of ice I has been taken into account by calculating the average conductivity along the temperature profile. Heating rates are based on a chondritic radiogenic heating rate of 4.5 pW kg−1 but have been varied around this value over a wide range. The phase diagrams of H2O (ice I) and H2O + 5 wt% NH3 ice have been considered. The ice I models are worst-case scenarios for the existence of a subsurface liquid water ocean because ice I has the highest possible melting temperature and the highest thermal conductivity of candidate ices and the assumption of equilibrium ignores the contribution to ice shell heating from deep interior cooling. In the context of ice I models, we find that Europa is the satellite most likely to have a subsurface liquid ocean. Even with radiogenic heating alone the ocean is tens of kilometers thick in the nominal model. If tidal heating is invoked, the ocean will be much thicker and the ice shell will be a few tens of kilometers thick. Ganymede and Callisto have frozen their oceans in the nominal ice I models, but since these models represent the worst-case scenario, it is conceivable that these satellites also have oceans at the present time. The most important factor working against the existence of subsurface oceans is contamination of the outer ice shell by rock. Rock increases the density and the pressure gradient and shifts the triple point of ice I to shallower depths where the temperature is likely to be lower then the triple point temperature. According to present knowledge of ice phase diagrams, ammonia produces one of the largest reductions of the melting temperature. If we assume a bulk concentration of 5 wt% ammonia we find that all the satellites have substantial oceans. For a model of Europa heated only by radiogenic decay, the ice shell will be a few tens of kilometers thinner than in the ice I case. The underlying rock mantle will limit the depth of the ocean to 80-100 km. For Ganymede and Callisto, the ice I shell on top of the H2O-NH3 ocean will be around 60- to 80-km thick and the oceans may be 200- to 350-km deep. Previous models have suggested that efficient convection in the ice will freeze any existing ocean. The present conclusions are different mainly because they are based on a parameterization of convective heat transport in fluids with strongly temperature dependent viscosity rather than a parameterization derived from constant-viscosity convection models. The present parameterization introduces a conductive stagnant lid at the expense of the thickness of the convecting sublayer, if the latter exists at all. The stagnant lid causes the temperature in the sublayer to be warmer than in a comparable constant-viscosity convecting layer. We have further modified the parameterization to account for the strong increase in homologous temperature, and therefore decrease in viscosity, with depth along an adiabat. This modification causes even thicker stagnant lids and further elevated temperatures in the well-mixed sublayer. It is the stagnant lid and the comparatively large temperature in the sublayer that frustrates ocean freezing.  相似文献   

10.
Non-Newtonian topographic relaxation on Europa   总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1  
F. Nimmo 《Icarus》2004,168(1):205-208
Models of topographic support on Europa by lateral shell thickness variations have previously assumed a Newtonian ice viscosity. Here I show that using a more realistic stress-dependent viscosity gives relaxation times which can be significantly different. Topography of wavelength 100 km cannot be supported by lateral shell thickness variations for ∼50 Myr, unless the shell thickness is <10 km or the ice grain size >10 mm. Shorter wavelength topography would require even thinner shells, but may be supported elastically. Global-scale variations in shell thickness, however, can be supported for geological timescales if the shell thickness is O(10 km).  相似文献   

11.
Lijie Han  Adam P. Showman 《Icarus》2010,207(2):834-505
We performed 2D numerical simulations of oscillatory tidal flexing to study the interrelationship between tidal dissipation (calculated using the Maxwell model) and a heterogeneous temperature structure in Europa’s ice shell. Our 2D simulations show that, if the temperature is spatially uniform, the tidal dissipation rate peaks when the Maxwell time is close to the tidal period, consistent with previous studies. The tidal dissipation rate in a convective plume encased in a different background temperature depends on both the plume and background temperature. At a fixed background temperature, the dissipation increases strongly with plume temperature at low temperatures, peaks, and then decreases with temperature near the melting point when a melting-temperature viscosity of 1013 Pa s is used; however, the peak occurs at significantly higher temperature in this heterogeneous case than in a homogeneous medium for equivalent rheology. For constant plume temperature, the dissipation rate in a plume decreases as the surrounding temperature increases; plumes that are warmer than their surroundings can exhibit enhanced heating not only relative to their surroundings but relative to the Maxwell-model prediction for a homogeneous medium at the plume temperature. These results have important implications for thermal feedbacks in Europa’s ice shell.To self-consistently determine how convection interacts with tidal heating that is correctly calculated from the time-evolving heterogeneous temperature field, we coupled viscoelastic simulations of oscillatory tidal flexing (using Tekton) to long-term simulations of the convective evolution (using ConMan). Our simulations show that the tidal dissipation rate resulting from heterogeneous temperature can have a strong impact on thermal convection in Europa’s ice shell. Temperatures within upwelling plumes are greatly enhanced and can reach the melting temperature under plausible tidal-flexing amplitude for Europa. A pre-existing fracture zone (at least 6 km deep) promotes the concentration of tidal dissipation (up to ∼20 times more than that in the surroundings), leading to lithospheric thinning. This supports the idea that spatially variable tidal dissipation could lead locally to high temperatures, partial melting, and play an important role in the formation of ridges, chaos, or other features.  相似文献   

12.
William B. McKinnon 《Icarus》2006,183(2):435-450
It has been argued that the dominant non-Newtonian creep mechanisms of water ice make the ice shell above Callisto's ocean, and by inference all radiogenically heated ice I shells in the outer Solar System, stable against solid-state convective overturn. Conductive heat transport and internal melting (oceans) are therefore predicted to be, or have been, widespread among midsize and larger icy satellites and Kuiper Belt objects. Alternatively, at low stresses (where non-Newtonian viscosities can be arbitrarily large), convective instabilities may arise in the diffusional creep regime for arbitrarily small temperature perturbations. For Callisto, ice viscosities are low enough that convection is expected over most of geologic time above the internal liquid layer for plausible ice grain sizes (?a few mm); the alternative for early Callisto, a conducting shell over a very deep ocean (>450 km), is not compatible with Callisto's present partially differentiated state. Moreover, if convection is occurring today, the stagnant lid would be quite thick (∼100 km) and compatible with the lack of active geology. Nevertheless, Callisto's steady-state heat flow may have fallen below the convective minimum for its ice I shell late in Solar System history. In this case convection ends, the ice shell melts back at its base, and the internal ocean widens considerably. The presence of such an ocean, of order 200 km thick, is compatible with Callisto's moment-of-inertia, but its formation would have caused an ∼0.25% radial expansion. The tectonic effects of such a late, slow expansion are not observed, so convection likely persists in Callisto, possibly subcritically. Ganymede, due to its greater size, rock fraction and full differentiation, has a substantially higher heat flow than Callisto and has not reached this tectonic end state. Titan, if differentiated, and Triton should be more similar to Ganymede in this regard. Pluto, like Callisto, may be near the tipping point for convective shutdown, but uncertainties in its size and rock fraction prevent a more definitive assessment.  相似文献   

13.
To explain the formation of surface features on Europa, Enceladus, and other satellites, many authors have postulated the spatial localization of tidal heating within convective plumes. However, the concept that enhanced tidal heating can occur within a convective plume has not been rigorously tested. Most models of this phenomenon adopt a tidal heating with a temperature-dependence derived for an incompressible, homogeneous (zero-dimensional) Maxwell material, but it is unclear whether this formulation is relevant to the heterogeneous situation of a warm plume surrounded by cold ice. To determine whether concentrated dissipation can occur in convective plumes, we develop a two-dimensional model to compute the volumetric dissipation rate for an idealized, vertically oriented, isolated convective plume obeying a Maxwellian viscoelastic compressible rheology. We apply the model to the Europa and Enceladus ice shells, and we investigate the consequences for partial melting and resurfacing processes on these bodies. We find that the tidal heating is strongly temperature dependent in a convective ice plume and could produce elevated temperatures and local partial melting in the ice shells of Europa and Enceladus. Our calculation provides the first quantitative verification of the hypothesis by Sotin et al. [Sotin, C., Head, J.W., Tobie, G., 2002. Geophys. Res. Lett. 29. 74-1] and others that the tidal dissipation rate is a strong function of temperature inside a convective plume. On Europa, such localized heating could help allow the formation of domes and chaos terrains by convection. On Enceladus, localized tidal heating in a thermal plume could explain the concentrated activity at the south pole and its associated heat transport of 2-7 GW.  相似文献   

14.
Data from the recent gravity measurements by the Galileo mission are used to construct wide ranges of interior structure and composition models for the Galilean satellites of Jupiter. These models show that mantle densities of Io and Europa are consistent with an olivine-dominated mineralogy with the ratios of Mg to Fe components depending on mantle temperature for Io and on ice shell thickness for Europa. The mantle density and composition depend relatively little on core composition. The size of the core is largely determined by the core's composition with core radius increasing with the concentration of a light component such as sulfur. For Io, the range of possible core sizes is between 38 and 53% of the satellite's radius. For Europa, there is also a substantial effect of the thickness of the ice layer which is varied between 120 and 170 km on the core size. Core sizes are between 10 and 45% of Europa's radius. The core size of Ganymede ranges between one-quarter and one-third of the surface radius depending on its sulfur content and the thickness of the ice shell. A subset of the Ganymede models is consistent with an olivine-dominated mantle mineralogy. The thickness of the silicate mantle above the core varies between 900 and 1100 km. The outermost ice shell is about 900 km in thickness and is further subdivided by pressure-induced phase transitions into ice I, ice III, ice V, and ice VI layers. Callisto should be differentiated, albeit incompletely. It is proposed that this satellite was never molten at a large scale but differentiated through the convective gradual unmixing of the ice and the metal/rock component. Bulk iron-to-silicon ratios Fe/Si calculated for the inner pair of satellites, Io and Europa, are less than the CI carbonaceous chondrite value of 1.7±0.1, whereas ratios for the outer pair, Ganymede and Callisto, cover a broad range above the chondritic value. Although the ratios are uncertain, in particular for Ganymede and Callisto, the values are sufficiently distinct to suggest a difference in composition between these two pairs of satellites. This may indicate a difference in iron-silicon fractionation during the formation of both classes of satellites in the protojovian nebula.  相似文献   

15.
William B. Moore 《Icarus》2006,180(1):141-146
Models of tidal-convective equilibrium for Europa's ice shell are computed using a laboratory-derived composite flow law for ice. Volume diffusion creep is found to dominate the flow law at equilibrium, and thus the thickness of the shell is strongly dependent on the poorly known grain size of the ice. This grain size is, however, constrained to be less than a few millimeters if equilibrium is achieved at the current eccentricity. Europa's ice shell cannot be thinner than about 16 km in equilibrium at present, since tidal dissipation cannot generate enough heat in such a thin shell to balance the heat transport. No conductive equilibria are found; this is likely due to the fact that most of a conductive shell must be cold if temperature gradients are to be large enough to carry the heat. A minimum eccentricity of about 0.0025 (about 1/4 the present value) below which there are no equilibria is also found.  相似文献   

16.
A Melt-through Model for Chaos Formation on Europa   总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1  
The character of chaotic terrain on Europa is consistent with its formation by the melting of a thin conducting ice shell from below. Tidal dissipation can provide adequate energy for such a process. For example, only a few percent of Europa's predicted tidal heat, spread over a region 200 km in diameter, can lead to large melt regions within a few tens of thousands of years. Stronger, more localized concentrations result in melt-through in significantly shorter times (i.e., a few hundred years). The time scale for melt-through is shorter than the time scale for the solid-state viscous inflow of ice by several orders of magnitude. In general, modest concentrations of tidal heat can melt ice away faster than viscous inflow, leading to melt-through. A mechanism to transmit these heat concentrations through the ocean is required for this model. Such heat transport could be the result of convective plumes in the ocean driven by seafloor volcanism or by the destabilization of a stratified ocean.  相似文献   

17.
The tectonically and cryovolcanically resurfaced terrains of Ganymede attest to the satellite's turbulent geologic history. Yet, the ultimate cause of its geologic violence remains unknown. One plausible scenario suggests that the Galilean satellites passed through one or more Laplace-like resonances before evolving into the current Laplace resonance. Passage through such a resonance can excite Ganymede's eccentricity, leading to tidal dissipation within the ice shell. To evaluate the effects of resonance passage on Ganymede's thermal history we model the coupled orbital-thermal evolution of Ganymede both with and without passage through a Laplace-like resonance. In the absence of tidal dissipation, radiogenic heating alone is capable of creating large internal oceans within Ganymede if the ice grain size is 1 mm or greater. For larger grain sizes, oceans will exist into the present epoch. The inclusion of tidal dissipation significantly alters Ganymede's thermal history, and for some parameters (e.g. ice grain size, tidal Q of Jupiter) a thin ice shell (5 to 20 km) can be maintained throughout the period of resonance passage. The pulse of tidal heating that accompanies Laplace-like resonance capture can cause up to 2.5% volumetric expansion of the satellite and contemporaneous formation of near surface partial melt. The presence of a thin ice shell and high satellite orbital eccentricity would generate moderate diurnal tidal stresses in Ganymede's ice shell. Larger stresses result if the ice shell rotates non-synchronously. The combined effects of satellite expansion, its associated tensile stress, rapid formation of near surface partial melt, and tidal stress due to an eccentric orbit may be responsible for creating Ganymede's unique surface features.  相似文献   

18.
Europa's surface exhibits numerous small dome-like and lobate features, some of which have been attributed to fluid emplacement of ice or slush on the surface. We perform numerical simulations of non-Newtonian flows to assess the physical conditions required for these features to result from viscous flows. Our simulations indicate that the morphology of an ice flow on Europa will be, at least partially, influenced by pre-existing topography unless the thickness of the flow exceeds that of the underlying topography by at least an order of magnitude. Three classes of features can be identified on Europa. First, some (possibly most) putative flow-like features exhibit no influence from the pre-existing topography such as ridges, although their thicknesses are generally on the same order as those of ridges. Therefore, flow processes probably cannot explain the formation of these features. Second, some observed features show modest influence from the underlying topography. These might be explained by ice flows with wide ranges of parameters (ice temperatures >230 K, effusion rates >107 m3 year−1, and a wide range of grain sizes), although surface uplift (e.g., by diapirism) and in situ disaggregation provide an equally compelling explanation. Third, several observed features are completely confined by pre-existing topographic structures on at least one side; these are the best known candidates for flow features on Europa. If these features resulted from solid-ice flows, then temperatures >260 K and grain sizes <2 μm are required. Such small grain sizes seem unlikely; low-viscosity flows such as ice slurries or brines provide a better explanation for these features. Our results provide theoretical support for the view that many of Europa's lobate features have not resulted from solid-ice flows.  相似文献   

19.
The observational evidence given by Galileo spacecraft about Europa supports an icy rigid layer of several kilometers over another ductile layer of ice in convection, which floats over an internal ocean of liquid water. Before the onset of convection, heat is transmitted into the crust by conduction. The heat flow analysis in the potentially convective layer gives values higher than those obtained previously by tidal dissipation models, and suggests that the ice may be limited to a thin layer of ∼4 km total thickness. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.  相似文献   

20.
Jupiter’s satellites are subject to strong tidal forces which result in variations of the gravitational potential and deformations of the satellites’ surfaces on the diurnal tidal cycle. Such variations are described by the Love numbers \(k_2\) and \(h_2\) for the tide-induced potential variation due to internal mass redistribution and the radial surface displacement, respectively. The phase-lags \( \phi _{k_2}\) and \( \phi _{h_2}\) of these complex numbers contain information about the rheological and dissipative states of the satellites. Starting from interior structure models and assuming a Maxwell rheology to compute the tidal deformation, we calculate the phase-lags in application to Ganymede and Europa. For both satellites we assume a decoupling of the outer ice-shell from the deep interior by a liquid subsurface water ocean. We show that, in this case, the phase-lag difference \(\varDelta \phi = \phi _{k_2}- \phi _{h_2}\) can provide information on the rheological and thermal state of the deep interiors if the viscosities of the deeper layers are small. In case of Ganymede, phase-lag differences can reach values of a few degrees for high-pressure ice viscosities \({<}10^{14}\) Pa s and would indicate a highly dissipative state of the deep interior. In this case \(\varDelta \phi \) is dominated by dissipation in the high-pressure ice layer rather than dissipation within the ice-I shell. These phase lags would be detectable from spacecraft in orbit around the satellite. For Europa \(\varDelta \phi \) could reach values exceeding \(20^\circ \) and phase-lag measurements could help distinguish between (1) a hot dissipative silicate mantle which would in thermal equilibrium correspond to a very thin outer ice-I shell and (2) a cold deep interior implying that dissipation would mainly occur in a thick (several tens of km) outer ice-I shell. These measurements are highly relevant for ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) and NASA’s Europa Multiple Flyby Mission, both targeted for the Jupiter system.  相似文献   

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