Numerical Modeling of Tidally Driven Fractures Interacting With Meltwater Lenses on the Surface of Europa

Abstract

Europa, one of Jupiter's Galilean satellites, presents a complex surface characterized by extensive networks of large-scale lineae, along with smaller-scale fracture patterns and regions of chaos terrain. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element model is employed to investigate the processes governing the propagation of fractures within the moon's outer ice shell and their interaction with subsurface meltwater lenses. Fractures are represented as dynamic, growing features, with their evolution controlled by local stress conditions; the driving tidal stresses are determined using a closed-form analytical model of satellite tidal forcing. Particular emphasis is placed on examining how fracture development varies across different longitudes at a latitude of 30$°$ North, where tidal stresses and surface features are especially pronounced. By systematically modeling fracture evolution in the presence of meltwater lenses, the study assesses their potential to catalyze the formation of chaos terrain. The results demonstrate a clear dependence on longitude, with the most significant fracture-lens interactions occurring near the subjovian point (0$°$), 90$°$E, 180$°$E, and 270$°$E−locations associated with a high gradient in the stress field. The presence of a subsurface lens is found to enhance local fracturing in a manner consistent with the proposed hypothesis for chaos terrain generation.