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| Autori principali: | , , |
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| Natura: | Preprint |
| Pubblicazione: |
2023
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| Soggetti: | |
| Accesso online: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.02404 |
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| _version_ | 1866916426419273728 |
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| author | Shibley, Nicole C. Lai, Ching-Yao Culberg, Riley |
| author_facet | Shibley, Nicole C. Lai, Ching-Yao Culberg, Riley |
| contents | Liquid-water oceans likely underlie the ice shells of Europa and Enceladus, but ocean properties are challenging to measure due to the overlying ice. Here, we consider gravity-driven flow of the ice shells of icy satellites and relate this to ocean freeze and melt rates. We employ a first-principles approach applicable to conductive ice shells in a Cartesian geometry. We derive a scaling law under which ocean freeze/melt rates can be estimated from shell-thickness measurements. Under a steady-state assumption, ocean freeze/melt rates can be inferred from measurements of ice thickness, given a basal viscosity. Depending on a characteristic thickness scale and basal viscosity, characteristic freeze/melt rates range from around O(10$^{-1}$) to O(10$^{-5}$) mm/year. Our scaling is validated with ice-penetrating radar measurements of ice thickness and modelled snow accumulation for Roosevelt Island, Antarctica. Our model, coupled with observations of shell thickness, could help estimate the magnitudes of ocean freeze/melt rates on icy satellites. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2310_02404 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | How to infer ocean freezing rates on icy satellites from measurements of ice thickness Shibley, Nicole C. Lai, Ching-Yao Culberg, Riley Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Liquid-water oceans likely underlie the ice shells of Europa and Enceladus, but ocean properties are challenging to measure due to the overlying ice. Here, we consider gravity-driven flow of the ice shells of icy satellites and relate this to ocean freeze and melt rates. We employ a first-principles approach applicable to conductive ice shells in a Cartesian geometry. We derive a scaling law under which ocean freeze/melt rates can be estimated from shell-thickness measurements. Under a steady-state assumption, ocean freeze/melt rates can be inferred from measurements of ice thickness, given a basal viscosity. Depending on a characteristic thickness scale and basal viscosity, characteristic freeze/melt rates range from around O(10$^{-1}$) to O(10$^{-5}$) mm/year. Our scaling is validated with ice-penetrating radar measurements of ice thickness and modelled snow accumulation for Roosevelt Island, Antarctica. Our model, coupled with observations of shell thickness, could help estimate the magnitudes of ocean freeze/melt rates on icy satellites. |
| title | How to infer ocean freezing rates on icy satellites from measurements of ice thickness |
| topic | Earth and Planetary Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.02404 |