Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2002
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002georl..29w..24n&link_type=abstract
Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 29, Issue 23, pp. 24-1, CiteID 2109, DOI 10.1029/2002GL015754
Physics
17
Planetology: Solar System Objects: Jovian Satellites, Planetary Sciences: Interiors (8147), Planetary Sciences: Heat Flow, Planetary Sciences: Origin And Evolution
Scientific paper
We investigate the hypothesis that the ~10 km diameter dome-shaped features seen on Europa's surface are caused by strongly temperature-dependent convection, in which upwellings form isolated diapirs or thermals. We use the observed lower limit on dome diameter of 4 km to deduce that the conductive (stagnant) lid thickness must be <=5 km. Such a lid thickness implies a minimum surface heat flux of 90 mWm-2, compatible with recent estimates of tidal heating. We also use the mean observed dome diameter to infer a lower thermal boundary layer thickness of ~1 km. We find that the ice is probably deforming in the diffusion creep regime with a grain size in the range 0.02-0.06 mm. The fraction of internal heating is >0.5, the ice viscosity 1012-1013 Pa s, and the crustal solidification rate<5km/Ma.
Manga Michael
Nimmo Francis
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