Tidal Heating at Europa Using the Multifrequency Analysis of Tidal Heating Toolkit

Abstract We evaluate the thermal response of Europa’s ice shell to gravity perturbation Jupiter using a comprehensive toolkit (dubbed Multifrequency Analysis Tidal Heating, MATH) that evaluates tidal heating and heat flow in planetary bodies. The source is radially resolved can capture temperature-dependent pattern production with depth. use MATH examine steady-state profiles through conductive Europan shell, considering effects long-term eccentricity variations, obliquity, libration, nonsynchronous rotation (NSR). In each case, we vary thickness, calculate combination generated within flux into base would maintain track resulting surface flux. find should be, on average, no more than 12–17 km thick, due could be even thinner if basal nonnegligible. These results are consistent inferences from geology previous studies used simplified interior models, globally averaged rate, and/or constant eccentricity. also that, for given stable remains fairly as other parameters varied, perhaps providing an additional method constraining thicknesses ocean-bearing moons. Although budget thickness seem relatively insensitive NSR, moons closer-in orbits may sensitive these further explored.