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Europa's Synthetic Subsurface Heat Transport (Version 2)
Encounters with Jupiter's moon Europa by the Voyager and Galileo spacecraft indicated that a liquid salty ocean might exist below a layer of surface ice that is up to 10 kilometers thick. An ocean general circulation model developed to study the earth's oceans was used to investigate the tidally-forced ocean circulations on Europa. The orbit of Europa is 'gravity locked' so that the same side of Europa always faces Jupiter as is the case with the earth's moon. The icy surface of Europa heaves up and down 50 meters due to the strong tidal forces. This visualization shows the temperature changes induced from the flow fields calculated for a European ocean 50 kilometers deep. The warmest temperatures tend to be near the equator, not because of heating by the sun, but because the currents in the European ocean move the warmest waters to that location. Understanding the thermal and flow fields from these model runs will help to interpret observations from future missions to Europa such as the Jupiter's Icy Moons Orbiter mission proposed for launch in 2012.

Animation zooms up to Europa which then reveals the simulated heat transport occurring underneath the satellite's icy surface.    Animation zooms up to Europa which then reveals the simulated heat transport occurring underneath the satellite's icy surface.
Duration: 56.0 seconds
Available formats:
  640x480 (30 fps) MPEG-1   29 MB
  320x240 (30 fps) MPEG-1   7 MB
  320x240     JPEG         4 KB
  320x240     JPEG         4 KB
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A shot of Europa in the foreground with Jupiter and Io in the background.    A shot of Europa in the foreground with Jupiter and Io in the background.

Available formats:
  2560 x 1920     TIFF 1 MB
  320 x 240         JPEG 4 KB


A close-up shot of Europa.    A close-up shot of Europa.

Available formats:
  2560 x 1920     TIFF 4 MB
  320 x 240         JPEG 8 KB


A close-up shot of Europa revealing the simulated heat transport under its icy outer surface.    A close-up shot of Europa revealing the simulated heat transport under its icy outer surface.

Available formats:
  2560 x 1920     TIFF 4 MB
  160 x 80           PNG 28 KB
  320 x 240         JPEG 7 KB
  80 x 40             PNG   7 KB

Animation Number:2946
Animators:Alex Kekesi (Lead)
 Marte Newcombe
Studio:SVS
Completed:2004-05-04
Scientist:David Adamec (NASA/GSFC)
Data set:Ocean General Circulation Model Output
 
 
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Scientific Visualization Studio


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