Subduction-like process in Europa's ice shell triggered by enhanced eccentricity periods.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40465709.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adq8719 and PMC identifier 12136034.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Jupiter's icy moon Europa has a liquid water ocean beneath the ice shell and a geologically young surface, both related to extensive tidal processes. Interlaced by tectonic faults, the surface records convergent motions that induced crustal disappearance in some areas. Subduction has been advocated as an explanation; however, its driving mechanism still remains unexplained. We perform numerical simulations to test under what conditions may lateral compression initiate subduction in Europa's ice shell. We demonstrate that subduction-like recycling can occur only for shells of thickness [Formula: see text]10 kilometers, transporting the surface ice into the subsurface ocean. We further show that compression large enough to initiate subduction-like behavior in a thin shell is achieved during brief periods of enhanced eccentricity, implying increased hydrothermal activity at the seafloor. Together with the subduction-like transport of surface oxidants, such conjunction should favor chemical disequilibria in the ocean, increasing its astrobiological potential.