Open AccessUnified model of tectonics and heat transport in a frigid Enceladus
Author(s) -
Gustavo Gioia,
Pinaki Chakraborty,
Stephen Marshak,
S. W. Kieffer
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.0706018104
Subject(s) - enceladus , tectonics , saturn , geology , icy moon , astrobiology , spacecraft , geophysics , heat flux , tidal heating , salient , physics , astronomy , heat transfer , seismology , planet , mechanics , geography , archaeology
Recent data from the Cassini spacecraft have revealed that Enceladus, the 500-km-diameter moon of Saturn, has a southern hemisphere with a distinct arrangement of tectonic features, intense heat flux, and geyser-like plumes. How did the tectonic features form? How is the heat transported from depth? To address these questions, we formulate a simple model that couples the mechanics and thermodynamics of Enceladus and gives a unified explanation of the salient tectonic features, the plumes, and the transport of heat from a source at a depth of tens of kilometers to the surface. Our findings imply that tiny, icy moons can develop complex surficial geomorphologies, high heat fluxes, and geyser-like activity even if they do not have hot, liquid, and/or convecting interiors.