Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufm.p23e0101a&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #P23E-0101
Physics
5418 Heat Flow, 6221 Europa
Scientific paper
We present the results of a new numerical model for the generation and cooling of endogenic thermal anomalies on Europa. Europa likely has a ~100 km deep ocean beneath its icy shell and ongoing endogenic activity, as supported by a young average surface age of ~60 Ma and an abundance of recent resurfacing features. These resurfacing events would produce an associated thermal anomaly, which may be detectable by a thermal mapping instrument on a future Europa orbiter. The likelihood of such a detection depends on the size and lifetimes of endogenic thermal anomalies, which are modeled in this work. The simplest form of such an anomaly is a body of warm ice or liquid water erupted onto the surface, with horizontal extent much larger than its thickness so it can be modeled one-dimensionally. We use a numerical finite-element 1-D model to track the thermal evolution of these warm ice or liquid water bodies. The model includes heat transfer by conduction, convection (in liquid water), and radiation (at the surface), the latent heat of fusion, depth and temperature dependent thermophysical parameters, subsurface absorption of sunlight, with exponential decay in absorption with depth, variation in insolation with time, and cooling by sublimation of surface volatiles. The model predictions include diurnal surface temperatures in the region of the thermal anomaly, as well as detectable lifetimes as a function of thickness of the body. The results of this work estimate the likelihood of thermal anomaly detection by a future Europa orbiter, as well as make predictions for the wavelength range, sensitivity, and spectral resolution needed to make such a detection.
Abramov Oleg
Spencer John Robert
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