A whole-moon thermal history model of Europa: Impact of hydrothermal circulation and salt transport

• Published in: Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962) N.Y. 1962), 2012-04, Vol.218 (2), p.1006-1019
• Main Authors: Travis, B.J., Palguta, J., Schubert, G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astronomy; Earth, ocean, space; Europa; Exact sciences and technology; Geophysics; Interiors; Solar system; Thermal histories
• ISSN: 0019-1035; 1090-2643
• DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2012.02.008

► Hydrothermal convection alone can maintain an ocean in Europa. ► Hydrothermal convection plays a major role in Europa’s thermal history. ► Hydrothermal plumes transport heat and salt from Europa’s mantle to its ice shell. ► Europa’s ocean is likely of uniform salinity due to turbulent mixing. A whole-moon numerical model of Europa is developed to simulate its thermal history. The thermal evolution covers three phases: (i) an initial, roughly 0.5Gyr-long period of radiogenic heating and differentiation, (ii) a long period from 0.5Gyr to 4Gyr with continuing radiogenic heating but no tidal dissipative heating (TDH), and (iii) a final period covering the last 0.5Gyr until the present, during which TDH is active. Hydrothermal plumes develop after the initial period of heating and differentiation and transport heat and salt from Europa’s silicate mantle to its ice shell. We find that, even without TDH, vigorous hydrothermal convection in the rocky mantle can sustain flow in an ocean layer throughout Europa’s history. When TDH becomes active, the ice shell melts quickly to a thickness of about 20km, leaving an ocean 80km or more deep. Parameterized convection in the ice shell is non-uniform spatially, changes over time, and is tied to the deeper ocean–mantle dynamics. We also find that the dynamics are affected by salt concentrations. An initially non-uniform salt distribution retards plume penetration, but is homogenized over time by turbulent diffusion and time-dependent flow driven by initial thermal gradients. After homogenization, the uniformly distributed salt concentrations are no longer a major factor in controlling plume transport. Salt transport leads to the formation of a heterogeneous brine layer and salt inclusions at the bottom of the ice shell; the presence of salt in the ice shell could strongly influence convection in that layer.