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Tidal dissipation in Europa: A correction
Author(s) -
Cassen P.,
Peale S. J.,
Reynolds R. T.
Publication year - 1980
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/gl007i011p00987
Subject(s) - tidal heating , dissipation , crust , tidal force , geology , geophysics , satellite , thermal , jupiter (rocket family) , ocean tide , tidal power , liquid water , astrobiology , meteorology , physics , earth science , geodesy , spacecraft , astronomy , thermodynamics , ecology , biology
The possibility that tidal dissipation in a thin ice crust was sufficient to preserve liquid water on Jupiter's satellite Europa was suggested by Cassen et al. [1979]. However, their calculation of the tidal heating rate for that situation is in error. For the same parameter values, the actual heating rate would be much less than that given in the cited paper. Thus, their conclusion regarding the possibility that liquid water exists today on Europa is considerably weakened. The purposes of this paper are to correct the calculation of the tidal dissipation rate in a Europan ice crust, to discuss briefly the implications for Europa's thermal history, and to clarify certain aspects of the tidal heating problem which should have been obvious to the authors of the original paper.