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Geophysical controls of chemical disequilibria in Europa
Author(s) -
Vance S. D.,
Hand K. P.,
Pappalardo R. T.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl068547
Subject(s) - geology , seafloor spreading , volcano , jupiter (rocket family) , geophysics , flux (metallurgy) , hydrothermal circulation , earth (classical element) , atmosphere (unit) , tidal heating , subduction , astrobiology , planet , geochemistry , seismology , astronomy , tectonics , physics , materials science , space shuttle , metallurgy , thermodynamics
The ocean in Jupiter's moon Europa may have redox balance similar to Earth's. On Earth, low‐temperature hydration of crustal olivine produces substantial hydrogen, comparable to any potential flux from volcanic activity. Here we compare hydrogen and oxygen production rates of the Earth system with fluxes to Europa's ocean. Even without volcanic hydrothermal activity, water‐rock alteration in Europa causes hydrogen fluxes 10 times smaller than Earth's. Europa's ocean may have become reducing for a brief epoch, for example, after a thermal‐orbital resonance ∼2 Gyr after accretion. Estimated oxidant flux to Europa's ocean is comparable to estimated hydrogen fluxes. Europa's ice delivers oxidants to its ocean at the upper end of these estimates if its ice is geologically active, as evidence of geologic activity and subduction implies.