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Forming Relic Cratered Blocks: Left‐Lateral Shear on Enceladus Inferred From Ice‐Shell Deformation in the Leading Hemisphere
Author(s) -
Leonard E. J.,
Yin A.,
Pappalardo R. T.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: planets
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9100
pISSN - 2169-9097
DOI - 10.1029/2020je006499
Subject(s) - enceladus , terrain , geology , shear (geology) , geophysics , polar , astrobiology , petrology , physics , astronomy , geography , cartography
Plain Language Summary The southern leading hemisphere of Enceladus contains a unique terrain characterized by blocks of older, cratered material surrounded by areas of younger ridged terrain. In order to, investigate how this terrain formed and its implications for the surface history of Enceladus, we create a structural map of the region, infer a formation mechanism, and apply a simplified analytical model. From the structural map, we draw a comparison to shear zones on Earth where coherent blocks are rotated while the material around them is deformed. This comparison allows us to calculate the heat flux required in the region at the time of formation. We find that the heat flux in the region of the cratered blocks may have been high when the terrain formed, similar to that in the South Polar Terrain of Enceladus today, or involved high stresses.