Unified model of tectonics and heat transport in a frigid Enceladus.
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 geyser-like activity even if they do not have hot, liquid, and/or convecting interiors.
Gioia
Gustavo
G
Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
Chakraborty
Pinaki
P
Marshak
Stephen
S
Kieffer
Susan W
SW
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