Radar Detectability of a Subsurface Ocean on Europa

Christopher F. Chyba; Steven J. Ostro; Bradley C. Edwards

doi:10.1006/icar.1998.5961

Radar Detectability of a Subsurface Ocean on Europa

Christopher F. Chyba, Steven J. Ostro, Bradley C. Edwards

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

86 Scopus citations

Abstract

A spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter's moon Europa can use ice penetrating radar to probe for a possible liquid water ocean beneath Europa's surface ice and to characterize other important subsurface structure. Consideration of available constraints on the properties of Europa's ice, possible subsurface temperature gradients, and possible impurities in the ice places an upper limit of about 10 km on the depth to which an ocean might be detectable with an orbiting radar.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	292-302
Number of pages	11
Journal	Icarus
Volume	134
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1998.5961
State	Published - Aug 1998
Externally published	Yes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1006/icar.1998.5961

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title = "Radar Detectability of a Subsurface Ocean on Europa",

abstract = "A spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter's moon Europa can use ice penetrating radar to probe for a possible liquid water ocean beneath Europa's surface ice and to characterize other important subsurface structure. Consideration of available constraints on the properties of Europa's ice, possible subsurface temperature gradients, and possible impurities in the ice places an upper limit of about 10 km on the depth to which an ocean might be detectable with an orbiting radar.",

author = "Chyba, {Christopher F.} and Ostro, {Steven J.} and Edwards, {Bradley C.}",

note = "Funding Information: We acknowledge helpful conversations with R. Lorenz, R. Pappalardo, W. B. McKinnon, Xuan-Min Shao, and D. Holden and careful reviews by G. Pettengill and an anonymous referee. C.F.C. acknowledges support from the NASA exobiology program and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Part of this research was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, with support from NASA.",

year = "1998",

month = aug,

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language = "English (US)",

volume = "134",

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publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",

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T1 - Radar Detectability of a Subsurface Ocean on Europa

AU - Chyba, Christopher F.

AU - Ostro, Steven J.

AU - Edwards, Bradley C.

N1 - Funding Information: We acknowledge helpful conversations with R. Lorenz, R. Pappalardo, W. B. McKinnon, Xuan-Min Shao, and D. Holden and careful reviews by G. Pettengill and an anonymous referee. C.F.C. acknowledges support from the NASA exobiology program and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Part of this research was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, with support from NASA.

PY - 1998/8

Y1 - 1998/8

N2 - A spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter's moon Europa can use ice penetrating radar to probe for a possible liquid water ocean beneath Europa's surface ice and to characterize other important subsurface structure. Consideration of available constraints on the properties of Europa's ice, possible subsurface temperature gradients, and possible impurities in the ice places an upper limit of about 10 km on the depth to which an ocean might be detectable with an orbiting radar.

AB - A spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter's moon Europa can use ice penetrating radar to probe for a possible liquid water ocean beneath Europa's surface ice and to characterize other important subsurface structure. Consideration of available constraints on the properties of Europa's ice, possible subsurface temperature gradients, and possible impurities in the ice places an upper limit of about 10 km on the depth to which an ocean might be detectable with an orbiting radar.

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ER -

Radar Detectability of a Subsurface Ocean on Europa

Abstract

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