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Phase transitions and convection in Icy satellites
Author(s) -
Bercovici D.,
Schubert G.,
Reynolds R. T.
Publication year - 1986
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/gl013i005p00448
Subject(s) - convection , endothermic process , exothermic reaction , geology , buoyancy , phase (matter) , sea ice growth processes , boundary layer , geophysics , mechanics , thermodynamics , atmospheric sciences , sea ice , chemistry , physics , arctic ice pack , climatology , sea ice thickness , organic chemistry , adsorption
The effects of solid‐solid phase changes on subsolidus convection in the large icy moons of the outer solar system are considered. Phase transitions affect convection via processes that distort the phase change boundary and/or influence buoyancy through thermal expansion. Linear stability analyses are carried out for ice layers with a phase change at the midplane. Two exothermic phase transitions (ice I ‐ ice II, ice VI ‐ ice VIII) and two endothermic transitions (ice I ‐ ice III, ice II ‐ ice V) are considered. For the exothermic cases, the phase change can either impede or enhance whole‐layer convection. For the endothermic cases, the phase change always inhibits whole‐layer convective overturn and tends to enforce two‐layer convection. These results place some constraints on possible models of icy satellite evolution and structure.