Can Triton's Internal Heat Be Inferred From Its Ice Cap?

Sori, Michael M.

doi:10.1029/2020gl090518

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The heat flux estimates for Miranda are relatively high when compared to most other icy satellites, supporting dynamical models that suggest increases to Miranda's eccentricity due to past resonances between the Uranian satellites generated substantial amounts of tidal heating in Miranda's interior (Tittemore & Wisdom 1990;Ćuk et al 2020). The upper end of Miranda's estimated heat fluxes are higher than estimates for Ariel (Peterson et al 2015;Beddingfield et al 2022), Tethys (Giese et al 2007;Chen & Nimmo 2008), Dione (Hammond et al 2013), Rhea (Nimmo et al 2010;White et al 2013), Iapetus (White et al 2013), Triton (Ruiz 2003;Sori 2021), Pluto (Conrad et al 2019(Conrad et al , 2021, and Charon (Conrad et al 2021).…”

Section: Comparison With Other Icy Satellitessupporting

confidence: 52%

High Heat Flux near Miranda’s Inverness Corona Consistent with a Geologically Recent Heating Event

et al. 2022

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Uranus’s moon Miranda has a complex surface reflecting multiple episodes of activity. We estimated the heat flux near Inverness Corona, the youngest terrain on Miranda ( 100 − 100 + 400 Ma), to gain insight into recent endogenic resurfacing. We modeled flexure associated with Argier Rupes, which separates Inverness from the Cratered Terrain. Our results indicate an elastic thickness of 2.2–3.1 km and a heat flux of 35–140 mW m−2 in this region, assuming Miranda’s lithosphere is composed of pure H2O ice without porosity. Because the formation of the bounding flexure that we analyzed followed the formation of Argier Rupes, our results indicate that Miranda experienced high heat flux in the past 100 − 100 + 400 Ma. These results are also consistent with heating from a past resonance, possibly an Ariel–Umbriel 5:3 mean motion resonance, estimated to have generated heat fluxes >100 mW m−2 on Miranda. However, if Miranda instead has a porous lithosphere, our heat flux estimates are lower: 34–135 mW m−2 for 5% porosity, 29–114 mW m−2 for 15% porosity, and 20–81 mW m−2 for 25% porosity. Alternatively, if Miranda’s lithosphere includes NH3-hydrates, then our are estimates are even lower, 7–56 mW m−2 without porosity. These estimates decrease further when assuming NH3-hydrates and porosity: 7–54 mW m−2 for 5% porosity, 6–46 mW m−2 for 15% porosity, and 4–32 mW m−2 for 25% porosity. Better constraints on Miranda’s heat fluxes require more information on its ice shell properties.

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Section: Comparison With Other Icy Satellitessupporting

confidence: 52%

High Heat Flux near Miranda’s Inverness Corona Consistent with a Geologically Recent Heating Event

et al. 2022

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“…We also compare Titania's heat fluxes with those of other icy bodies throughout the solar system (Figure 9). Titania's heat fluxes are most similar to the lower end of the heat flux range estimated for Tethys (Giese et al 2007;White et al 2017;Beddingfield et al 2023) and Triton (Ruiz 2003;Sori 2021). Future studies that investigate flexure associated with more ancient tectonic structures and viscous relaxation states of ancient impact craters would reveal additional insight into Titania's thermal and orbital evolution.…”

Section: Comparison With Other Icy Bodiesmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…For moons in the Saturnian system, heat flux estimates are provided for Enceladus (Bland et al 2007(Bland et al , 2012(Bland et al , 2015Barr 2008;Giese et al 2008;O'Neill & Nimmo 2010;Han et al 2012;Leonard et al 2021a), Dione (Hammond et al 2013;White et al 2017), Tethys (Giese et al 2007;White et al 2017;Beddingfield et al 2023), Rhea (Nimmo et al 2010;White et al 2013), and Iapetus (White et al 2013). In the Neptunian system, heat fluxes are provided for Triton (Ruiz 2003;Sori 2021). In the Pluto system, heat fluxes are provided for Pluto (Conrad et al 2019(Conrad et al , 2021McKinnon et al 2023) and Charon (Conrad et al 2021).…”

Section: Messina's Relative Agementioning

confidence: 99%

Titania's Heat Fluxes Revealed by Messina Chasmata

Beddingfield,

Leonard,

Nordheim

et al. 2023

Planet. Sci. J.

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Messina Chasmata is a relatively young tectonic structure on Titania based on cross-cutting relationships, although an absolute age has not been estimated. We investigated lithospheric flexure bounding Messina and found that the terrain along both rims reflects Titania’s thermal properties. We estimate Titania’s heat fluxes to have been 5–12 mW m−2 in this region, assuming that the lithosphere is composed of pure H2O ice without porosity. These estimates are lower if lithospheric porosity and/or NH3–H2O are also present. If Messina is ancient, forming as a result of freeze expansion, then the reflected heat fluxes are consistent with radiogenic heating. However, if Messina is instead young, then an additional heat source is required. In this scenario, perhaps tidal heating associated with the past three-body resonance shared between Titania, Ariel, and Umbriel generated this heat. However, this scenario is unlikely because the amount of tidal heating produced on Titania would have been minimal. Titania’s heat fluxes are notably lower than estimates for Miranda or Ariel, and future work is needed to investigate Umbriel and Oberon to gain a fuller understanding of Uranian moon thermal and orbital histories. Additionally, further constraints on Titania’s more ancient heat fluxes could be obtained by investigating relatively older features, such as some viscously relaxed impact craters.

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“…In the Uranian system, heat flux estimates are provided for Miranda (Beddingfield et al 2015a(Beddingfield et al , 2022b and Ariel (Peterson et al 2015;Beddingfield et al 2022a). In the Neptunian system, heat flux estimates are provided for Triton (Ruiz 2003;Sori 2021). In the Pluto system, heat flux estimates are provided for Pluto (Conrad et al 2019(Conrad et al , 2021 and Charon (Conrad et al 2021).…”

Section: Heat Flux Comparisonsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tethys’s Heat Fluxes Varied with Time in the Ithaca Chasma and Telemus Basin Region

et al. 2023

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We investigated how lithospheric heat fluxes varied temporally and spatially on the Saturnian moon Tethys, focusing on the region of Ithaca Chasma that overprints Telemus Impact Basin. Our results, derived from flexure associated with Ithaca, indicate elastic thicknesses of 4.1 ± 0.3 km to 6.4 ± 0.4 km and heat fluxes ranging from 12 to 39 mW m−2 assuming a nonporous pure H2O ice lithosphere. Our results for Ithaca’s south limb are similar to previous estimates within the north limb, indicating consistent heat fluxes across a large spatial extent in this area. However, our estimates are lower than those for the older Telemus Basin (>60 mW m−2), revealing evidence that Tethys experienced a substantial temporal variation in heat fluxes in this region. Heat fluxes reflected by Ithaca are similar to previous estimates for Tethys’s two youngest impact basins, Melanthius and Odysseus, suggesting that Ithaca may also be relatively young. If Tethys’s lithosphere is porous, then our heat flux estimates for Ithaca Chasma drop to 12–38 mW m−2, 11–35 mW m−2, and 10–33 mW m−2 for 5%, 15%, and 25% porosities, respectively. If Tethys’s lithosphere includes ∼10% NH3-hydrates, then the estimates are 5–16 mW m−2, 5–15 mW m−2, 4–14 mW m−2, and 4–13 mW m−2 for 0%, 5%, 15%, and 25% porosities, respectively. Although we find that some ground-based reflectance spectra hint at 2.2 μm bands that may result from NH3-bearing species, the detected features are weak and may not result from surface constituents. Consequently, our heat flux estimates that assume a pure H2O ice lithosphere are likely more accurate.

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Can Triton's Internal Heat Be Inferred From Its Ice Cap?

Cited by 5 publications

References 37 publications

High Heat Flux near Miranda’s Inverness Corona Consistent with a Geologically Recent Heating Event

High Heat Flux near Miranda’s Inverness Corona Consistent with a Geologically Recent Heating Event

Titania's Heat Fluxes Revealed by Messina Chasmata

Tethys’s Heat Fluxes Varied with Time in the Ithaca Chasma and Telemus Basin Region

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