Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Europa's petrological thermal history

Nature volume 289, pages 21–24 (1981)Cite this article

Abstract

The thermal evolution of Europa is described by a new path of geophysical development. Petrological considerations suggest that heat may have been transported within Europa by sub-solidus convection, and that a large fraction of Europa's water content is retained as hydrated silicates.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lewis, J. S. Science 172, 1127–1128 (1971).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Consolmagno, G. J. & Lewis, J. S. Icarus 34, 280–293 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Fanale, F. P., Johnson, T. V. & Matson, D. L. in Planetary Satellites (ed. Burns, J.) 379–405 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Smith, B. A. et al. Science 206, 927–950 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Cassen, P., Reynolds, R. T. & Peale, S. J. Geophys. Res. Lett. 6, 731–734 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Schubert, G., Stevenson, D. J. & Ellsworth, K. Icarus (submitted).

  7. Cassen, P., Peale, S. J. & Reynolds, R. T. Geophys. Res. Lett. (submitted).

  8. Grossman, L. & Larimer, J. W. Rev. Geophys. Space Phys. 12, 71–101 (1974).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Harris, A. W. Icarus 34, 128–145 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ransford, G. A., Matson, D. L. & Johnson, T. V. EOS 60, 307 (1979).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cameron, A. G. W. & Pollack, J. B. in Jupiter (ed. Gehrels, T.) 61–84 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kitahara, S., Takenouchi, S. & Kennedy, G. C. Am. J. Sci. 264, 223–233 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Fawcett, J. J. & Yoder, H. S. Jr Am. Miner. 51, 353–380 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Chernosky, J. V. Jr Am. Miner. 59, 496–507 (1974).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Irving, A. J., Huang, W. L. & Wyllie, P. J. Am. J. Sci. 277, 313–321 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Deer, W. A., Howie, R. A. & Zussman, J. Rock-forming Minerals Vol. 3 (Wiley, New York, 1962).

  17. Turcotte, D. L., Cooke, F. A. & Willeman, R. J. Proc. 10th Lunar planet. Sci. Conf. 2375–2392 (1979).

  18. Schubert, G., Young, R. E. & Cassen, P. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A285, 523–536 (1977).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Cassen, P. et al. Phys. Earth planet. Inter. 19, 183–196 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. Schubert, G., Cassen, P. & Young, R. E. Icarus 38, 192–211 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Tozer, D. C. Phys. Earth planet. Inter. 6, 182–197 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Tozer, D. C. The Moon 9, 167–182 (1974).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kirby, S. H. & McCormick, J. W. Bull. miner. 102, 124–137 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Blacic, J. D. Flow and Fracture of Rocks (eds Heard, H. C., Borg, I. Y., Carter, N. L. & Raleigh, C. B.) 109–115 (American Geophysical Union Geophysical Monogr. 16, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Raleigh, C. B. & Paterson, M. S. J. Geophys. Res. 70, 3965–3985 (1965).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. Murrell, S. A. F. & Ismail, I. A. H. Tectonophysics 34, 207–258 (1976).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Patterson, M. S. Experimental Rock Deformation—The Brittle Field (Springer, New York, 1978).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  28. Pieri, D. Nature 289, 17–21 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. Finnerty, A. A., Ransford, G. A., Pieri, D. & Collerson, K. D. Nature 289, 24–27 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. Runcorn, S. K. Proc. R. Soc. A296, 270–284 (1967).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. Roberts, P. H. Mathematika 12, 128–137 (1900).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Helfenstein, P. & Parmentier, E. M. Proc. 11th Lunar planet. Sci. Conf. (submitted).

  33. Ringwood, A. E., Composition and Petrology of the Earth's Mantle, 192 (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Turcotte, D. L., Hsui, A. T., Torrance, K. E. & Oxburgh, E. R. J. geophys. Res. 77, 6931–6939 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  35. Schubert, G. Rev. Earth planet. Sci. 7, 289–343 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Sciences Division, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, 91103

    G. A. Ransford & A. A. Finnerty

  2. Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia

    K. D. Collerson

Authors
  1. G. A. Ransford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. A. Finnerty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K. D. Collerson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ransford, G., Finnerty, A. & Collerson, K. Europa's petrological thermal history. Nature 289, 21–24 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/289021a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/289021a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing