Ocean stratification impedes particulate transport to the plumes of Enceladus
Abstract Water-vapour plumes erupting from Enceladus’ south pole provide a window into the properties of its subsurface ocean, a prime target in the search for life. However, the extent to which plume material represents conditions at Enceladus’ depths is unclear, because of its unknown ocean strati...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02036-3 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1823861585889722368 |
|---|---|
| author | Flynn Ames David Ferreira Arnaud Czaja Adam Masters |
| author_facet | Flynn Ames David Ferreira Arnaud Czaja Adam Masters |
| author_sort | Flynn Ames |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Water-vapour plumes erupting from Enceladus’ south pole provide a window into the properties of its subsurface ocean, a prime target in the search for life. However, the extent to which plume material represents conditions at Enceladus’ depths is unclear, because of its unknown ocean stratification, which may impede the transport of matter to the ocean top. Previous studies have found conflicting stratification regimes using differing parameter choices and model physics. Here, we build a comprehensive view of Enceladus’ ocean stratification and bottom-to-top transport timescale, across plausible ranges of salinity and tidally- and librationally-induced mixing, accounting for non-linearities in the equation of state for water, geothermal heating and ice-ocean freshwater exchanges. We use theoretical models verified with global ocean numerical simulations. We show that, under a steady state assumption for the ice shell, which requires melting at the poles, there is no parameter choice permitting an unstratified ocean from top to bottom there. As a result, potential hydrothermal products take at minimum 100s of years to reach the plumes. This suggests that either timescales of several months, inferred from Cassini observations, are incorrect, perhaps biased by alternative particulate transport mechanisms, or that Enceladus’ ice shell is not in a quasi-equilibrated state. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b51c338b75894ad5a06f2a5b4f9a1501 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-b51c338b75894ad5a06f2a5b4f9a15012025-02-09T12:55:55ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-02-016111110.1038/s43247-025-02036-3Ocean stratification impedes particulate transport to the plumes of EnceladusFlynn Ames0David Ferreira1Arnaud Czaja2Adam Masters3Department of Meteorology, University of ReadingDepartment of Meteorology, University of ReadingDepartment of Physics, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Physics, Imperial College LondonAbstract Water-vapour plumes erupting from Enceladus’ south pole provide a window into the properties of its subsurface ocean, a prime target in the search for life. However, the extent to which plume material represents conditions at Enceladus’ depths is unclear, because of its unknown ocean stratification, which may impede the transport of matter to the ocean top. Previous studies have found conflicting stratification regimes using differing parameter choices and model physics. Here, we build a comprehensive view of Enceladus’ ocean stratification and bottom-to-top transport timescale, across plausible ranges of salinity and tidally- and librationally-induced mixing, accounting for non-linearities in the equation of state for water, geothermal heating and ice-ocean freshwater exchanges. We use theoretical models verified with global ocean numerical simulations. We show that, under a steady state assumption for the ice shell, which requires melting at the poles, there is no parameter choice permitting an unstratified ocean from top to bottom there. As a result, potential hydrothermal products take at minimum 100s of years to reach the plumes. This suggests that either timescales of several months, inferred from Cassini observations, are incorrect, perhaps biased by alternative particulate transport mechanisms, or that Enceladus’ ice shell is not in a quasi-equilibrated state.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02036-3 |
| spellingShingle | Flynn Ames David Ferreira Arnaud Czaja Adam Masters Ocean stratification impedes particulate transport to the plumes of Enceladus Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Ocean stratification impedes particulate transport to the plumes of Enceladus |
| title_full | Ocean stratification impedes particulate transport to the plumes of Enceladus |
| title_fullStr | Ocean stratification impedes particulate transport to the plumes of Enceladus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ocean stratification impedes particulate transport to the plumes of Enceladus |
| title_short | Ocean stratification impedes particulate transport to the plumes of Enceladus |
| title_sort | ocean stratification impedes particulate transport to the plumes of enceladus |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02036-3 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT flynnames oceanstratificationimpedesparticulatetransporttotheplumesofenceladus AT davidferreira oceanstratificationimpedesparticulatetransporttotheplumesofenceladus AT arnaudczaja oceanstratificationimpedesparticulatetransporttotheplumesofenceladus AT adammasters oceanstratificationimpedesparticulatetransporttotheplumesofenceladus |