TY - JOUR
T1 - Unified model of tectonics and heat transport in a frigid Enceladus
AU - Gioia, Gustavo
AU - Chakraborty, Pinaki
AU - Marshak, Stephen
AU - Kieffer, Susan W.
PY - 2007/8/21
Y1 - 2007/8/21
N2 - Recent data from the Cassini spacecraft have revealed that Enceladus, the 500-km-diameter moon of Saturn, has a southern hemisphere with a distinct arrangement of tectonic features, intense heat flux, and geyser-like plumes. How did the tectonic features form? How is the heat transported from depth? To address these questions, we formulate a simple model that couples the mechanics and thermodynamics of Enceladus and gives a unified explanation of the salient tectonic features, the plumes, and the transport of heat from a source at a depth of tens of kilometers to the surface. Our findings imply that tiny, icy moons can develop complex surficial geomorphologies, high heat fluxes, and geyserlike activity even if they do not have hot, liquid, and/or convecting interiors.
AB - Recent data from the Cassini spacecraft have revealed that Enceladus, the 500-km-diameter moon of Saturn, has a southern hemisphere with a distinct arrangement of tectonic features, intense heat flux, and geyser-like plumes. How did the tectonic features form? How is the heat transported from depth? To address these questions, we formulate a simple model that couples the mechanics and thermodynamics of Enceladus and gives a unified explanation of the salient tectonic features, the plumes, and the transport of heat from a source at a depth of tens of kilometers to the surface. Our findings imply that tiny, icy moons can develop complex surficial geomorphologies, high heat fluxes, and geyserlike activity even if they do not have hot, liquid, and/or convecting interiors.
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U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0706018104
DO - 10.1073/pnas.0706018104
M3 - Article
C2 - 17699628
AN - SCOPUS:35549013236
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 104
SP - 13578
EP - 13581
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 34
ER -