Premium
Brine Migration and Impact‐Induced Cryovolcanism on Europa
Author(s) -
Steinbrügge G.,
Voigt J. R. C.,
Wolfenbarger N. S.,
Hamilton C. W.,
Soderlund K. M.,
Young D. A.,
Blankenship D. D.,
Vance S. D.,
Schroeder D. M.
Publication year - 2020
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 - 10.1029/2020gl090797
Subject(s) - brine , geology , impact crater , mantle (geology) , earth science , geochemistry , petrology , astrobiology , physics , thermodynamics
Despite evidence for plumes on Jupiter's moon Europa, no surface features have been definitively identified as the source of the plumes to date. Furthermore, it remains unknown whether the activity originates from near‐surface water reservoirs within the ice shell or if it is sourced from the underlying global ocean. Here we investigate brine pocket migration, studied previously in the context of sea ice on Earth, as a process for transporting brine along thermal gradients. We show that the fracture system located in the center of Europa's Manannán crater is consistent with the formation of a subsurface brine reservoir. After the initial impact, residual aqueous melt concentrated via brine pocket migration as the target material cooled. Freezing and overpressurization then resulted in a cryovolcanic eruption. The volume of the emptied reservoir and the critical composition at the end of migration provide further constraints on the average salinity of Europa's ice shell.