Melt Segregation and Tidal Heating at Io

Physics

Scientific paper

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[6063] Planetary Sciences: Comets And Small Bodies / Volcanism, [6219] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Io, [8450] Volcanology / Planetary Volcanism

Scientific paper

Recent evidence of melt beneath Io's surface (Khurana et al., 2010) and repeated observation of volcanic activity and features consistent with volcanic activity at the surface (e.g. Veeder et al, 1994; Rathbun et al., 2004; Lopes-Gautier et al., 1999; Smith et al., 1979) has raised further questions about the structure of the Galilean moon and the processes that shape it. In this study we examine the thermal state, melt fraction, and multiphase dynamics of melt segregation within Io's interior. Using a coupled multiphase dynamics and tidal heating model we explore the location, spatial extent, and temporal residence times of melt in Io's subsurface, as well as response to orbital parameters. In a thermally evolving body subject to tidal forcing, in which melt production and migration takes place, feedback can occur with respect to the physical and thermal properties. We explore this feedback to produce a thermal model of Io, taking into account the rate of tidal heating and fluid motion within the interior. First, a layered model of the internal structure is assumed. The equations of motion for forced oscillations in a layered spherical body are then solved using the propagator matrix method (Sabadini and Vermeesen, 2004) to obtain the displacements and strains due to tidal motion (Roberts and Nimmo, 2008). From this, the radial distribution of tidal heat generation within Io is calculated. This radial heating profile is then used as input for a multi-phase fluid model in order to obtain an estimate of the radial temperature distribution and thus the material properties and melt fractions. In the multiphase model individual phases (melt and solid residue) separately conserve mass, momentum and enthalpy (Dufek and Bachmann, 2010) allowing us to explore melt segregation phenomena. Enthalpy closure is provided by the MELTS (Ghiorso and Sack, 1995) thermodynamics algorithm, which is called at each point in space. This accounts for the partitioning between latent and sensible heat, and updates the physical properties of the melt and solid phase such as density and heat capacity. With this approach we explore the sensitivity of melt generation and the time between melt production and eruption (the residence time) to mantle chemistry and the layered structure of the moon.

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