Laboratory investigations of eruption and salt precipitation of subsurface seawater on Europa and other geologically active icy bodies
Abstract
Understanding of the chemical compositions of subsurface oceans on Europa and other icy bodies is critical to assess the habitability. Plume and surface salty materials can provide the unique information on the oceanic compositions; however, a series of physico-chemical processes - abrupt evaporation, degassing, and freezing of seawater - upon plume eruption could affect the chemical compositions. Can we reproduce the oceanic composition from the surface salts on Europa? Are volatiles, such as CO2 and SO2, degassed effectively upon plume eruption? The interpretation of the observations of surface and plume salts in future missions for Europa would largely depend on our knowledge of physico-chemical processes of plume eruption.
Here we construct a laboratory system, in which we can simulate eruption and evaporation of seawater at the plume sources of the subsurface oceans. Through the evacuation of surrounding gas in the vacuum chamber, salt-volatile-containing solutions can be abruptly evaporating and freezing. We can collect salt materials after the experiments and analyze their size, structure, and compositions using SEM and micro XRD. We also observe the dynamics of eruption using high-speed camera. In our presentation, we will present our preliminary results of salt composition and eruption dynamics via evaporative concentration using our experimental system.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020AGUFMP044.0008Y
- Keywords:
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- 5215 Origin of life;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: ASTROBIOLOGY;
- 6221 Europa;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS;
- 6282 Enceladus;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS;
- 5494 Instruments and techniques;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLID SURFACE PLANETS