Powering prolonged hydrothermal activity inside Enceladus

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11320%2F17%3A10367314" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11320/17:10367314 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-017-0289-8" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-017-0289-8</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-017-0289-8" target="_blank" >10.1038/s41550-017-0289-8</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Powering prolonged hydrothermal activity inside Enceladus

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Geophysical data from the Cassini spacecraft imply the presence of a global ocean underneath the ice shell of Enceladus(1), only a few kilometres below the surface in the South Polar Terrain(2-4). Chemical analyses indicate that the ocean is salty(5) and is fed by ongoing hydrothermal activity(6-8). In order to explain these observations, an abnormally high heat power (&gt;20 billion watts) is required, as well as a mechanism to focus endogenic activity at the south pole(9,10). Here, we show that more than 10 GW of heat can be generated by tidal friction inside the unconsolidated rocky core. Water transport in the tidally heated permeable core results in hot narrow upwellings with temperatures exceeding 363 K, characterized by powerful (1-5 GW) hotspots at the seafloor, particularly at the south pole. The release of heat in narrow regions favours intense interaction between water and rock, and the transport of hydrothermal products from the core to the plume sources. We are thus able to explain the main global characteristics of Enceladus: global ocean, strong dissipation, reduced ice-shell thickness at the south pole and seafloor activity. We predict that this endogenic activity can be sustained for tens of millions to billions of years.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Powering prolonged hydrothermal activity inside Enceladus

Popis výsledku anglicky

Geophysical data from the Cassini spacecraft imply the presence of a global ocean underneath the ice shell of Enceladus(1), only a few kilometres below the surface in the South Polar Terrain(2-4). Chemical analyses indicate that the ocean is salty(5) and is fed by ongoing hydrothermal activity(6-8). In order to explain these observations, an abnormally high heat power (&gt;20 billion watts) is required, as well as a mechanism to focus endogenic activity at the south pole(9,10). Here, we show that more than 10 GW of heat can be generated by tidal friction inside the unconsolidated rocky core. Water transport in the tidally heated permeable core results in hot narrow upwellings with temperatures exceeding 363 K, characterized by powerful (1-5 GW) hotspots at the seafloor, particularly at the south pole. The release of heat in narrow regions favours intense interaction between water and rock, and the transport of hydrothermal products from the core to the plume sources. We are thus able to explain the main global characteristics of Enceladus: global ocean, strong dissipation, reduced ice-shell thickness at the south pole and seafloor activity. We predict that this endogenic activity can be sustained for tens of millions to billions of years.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

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OECD FORD obor

10500 - Earth and related environmental sciences

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/GJ15-14263Y" target="_blank" >GJ15-14263Y: Tání ledu a transportní procesy v ledové slupce Europy</a><br>

Návaznosti

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Rok uplatnění

2017

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Nature Astronomy

ISSN

2397-3366

e-ISSN

—

Svazek periodika

1

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

12

Stát vydavatele periodika

GB - Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

Počet stran výsledku

7

Strana od-do

841-847

Kód UT WoS článku

000418271300006

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

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