CaltechAUTHORS
Published August 2021 | Version Published
Journal Article Open

Exploration of Icy Ocean Worlds Using Geophysical Approaches

Creators

  • 1. ROR icon Jet Propulsion Lab
  • 2. ROR icon Charles University
  • 3. ROR icon North Carolina State University
  • 4. ROR icon Washington University in St. Louis
  • 5. ROR icon Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique de Nantes
  • 6. ROR icon Georgia Institute of Technology
  • 7. ROR icon University of Washington
  • 8. ROR icon California Institute of Technology
  • 9. ROR icon The University of Texas at Austin
  • 10. ROR icon University of Georgia
  • 11. ROR icon Stanford University

Abstract

Geophysics-focused missions and improved geophysical data sets are critical for the future exploration of icy ocean worlds. Of particular interest is the exploration of the Galilean moon, Europa, and the Saturnian moons, Titan and Enceladus. These bodies likely have geologically active surfaces and may harbor habitable subsurface environments. Placing any candidate signatures for life in context requires further knowledge of the interior of these worlds. While the surfaces of these bodies have been mapped, their interiors remain poorly understood. Geophysical approaches such as geodesy, seismology, ice-penetrating radar and altimetry measurements, and electromagnetometry would provide critical information regarding the interior of these icy ocean worlds. The approaches described below would answer key science questions regarding ice shell and ocean dynamics, internal structure and interior layer thicknesses, near-surface structure, and how material from the deep interior might be exchanged with the surface. Here we outline the geophysical environments of Enceladus, Europa, and Titan; some outstanding science questions that remain to be addressed; and examples of the geophysical approaches that can provide the context to better understand icy ocean worlds.

Additional Information

© 2021. The Author(s). Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI. Received 2021 February 9; revised 2021 May 20; accepted 2021 June 28; published 2021 August 5. Ocean Worlds: Motivations for a Multi-Decadal Exploration Program. A portion of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Habitable Worlds Grant: 16-HW16_2-0065) and JPL's Strategic Research and Technology Development program. We thank Natalie Wolfenbarger and Edwin Kite for helpful discussions, as well as the suggestions of two anonymous reviewers.

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Additional details

Identifiers

Eprint ID
110254
Resolver ID
CaltechAUTHORS:20210813-181202939

Related works

Describes
10.3847/psj/ac1272 (DOI)

Funding

NASA/JPL/Caltech
16-HW16_2-0065
JPL Research and Technology Development Fund

Dates

Created
2021-08-16
Created from EPrint's datestamp field
Updated
2021-08-16
Created from EPrint's last_modified field

Caltech Custom Metadata

Caltech groups
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences (GPS)