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Origin of Domes on Europa: The Role of Thermally Induced Compositional Buoyancy,The surface of Jupiter's moon Europa is peppered by topographic domes, interpreted as sites of intrusion and extrusion. Diapirism is consistent with dome morphology, but thermal buoyancy alone cannot produce sufficient driving pressures to create the observed dome elevations. Instead, diapirs may initiate by thermal convection that induces compositional segregation. Exclusion of impurities from warm upwellings allows sufficient buoyancy for icy plumes to create the observed surface topography, provided the ice shell has a small effective elastic thickness (0.2 to 0.5 km) and contains low-eutectic point impurities at the few percent level. This model suggests that the ice shell may be depleted in impurities over time.
Document ID
20050196686
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Pappalardo, R. T.
(Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Barr, A. C.
(Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2004
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Volume: 31
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NCC2-1340
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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