Forming Relic Cratered Blocks: Left‐Lateral Shear on Enceladus Inferred From Ice‐Shell Deformation in the Leading Hemisphere

Abstract

Enceladus, a small icy satellite of Saturn with a diameter of ∼500 km, displays a wide range of morphologic features that include active linear fractures emitting vapor jets, curvilinear ridges interpreted as folds, isolated zones of linear to curvilinear tensile cracks, and heavily cratered regions that have not experienced significant tectonic deformation in the past

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

“…As shown in Figure 4 and Table 2, the estimated heat fluxes for Miranda (31-140 mW m −2 ) are most similar to heat flux estimates for Europa (Hussmann et al 2002;Nimmo & Manga 2002;Ruiz 2003;Tobie et al 2003;Showman & Han 2004;Ruiz 2005), with all of Miranda's estimated heat fluxes falling into the estimated range for Europa. Our heat flux estimates for Miranda overlap the lower estimates for Ganymede Nimmo & Pappalardo 2004;Bland et al 2017) and Enceladus (Bland & Beyer 2007;Barr 2008;Giese et al 2008;O'Neill & Nimmo 2010;Bland et al 2012Bland et al , 2015Han et al 2012;Leonard et al 2021a). However, the upper estimates of heat fluxes for these two moons are substantially higher than our estimates for Miranda.…”

The Global Shape, Gravity Field, and Libration of Enceladus

“…The prominent topographic rise centered around (18°S, −68°E) falls just to the north‐east of the enigmatic relic cratered blocks (Crow‐Willard & Pappalardo, 2015; Leonard et al., 2021). While some features in this area are associated with compression, there is also a series of relatively young fractures that run directly though this region (Leonard et al., 2021).…”

“…The prominent topographic rise centered around (18°S, −68°E) falls just to the north‐east of the enigmatic relic cratered blocks (Crow‐Willard & Pappalardo, 2015; Leonard et al., 2021). While some features in this area are associated with compression, there is also a series of relatively young fractures that run directly though this region (Leonard et al., 2021). While the prominent mound appears constrained by the relic cratered blocks to the south and two prominent troughs to the East and West, there is no apparent bounding feature to the north and apparent lack of change in the surface geology within the feature that would indicate the presence of the topographic rise.…”

Quantifying tidal versus non-tidal stresses in driving time-varying fluxes of Enceladus' plume eruptions

“…The Leading Hemisphere Terrain covers an area of ~195,000 km 2 , which is about two-thirds of the size of the Trailing-Hemisphere Terrain. This tectonically deformed domain is characterized by ropy, interlaced ridges and troughs and heavily cratered plateaus that are surrounded by subparallel ridges and troughs (Crow-Willard and Pappalardo, 2015;Leonard et al, 2021).…”