Abstract
Compositional heterogeneities within Europa’s ice shell likely impact
the dynamics and habitability of the ice and subsurface ocean, but the
total inventory and distribution of impurities within the shell is
unknown. In sea ice on Earth, the thermochemical environment at the
ice-ocean interface governs impurity entrainment into the ice. Here, we
simulate Europa’s ice-ocean interface and bound the impurity load
(1.053-14.72 g/kg (parts per thousand weight percent, or ppt) bulk ice
shell salinity) and bulk salinity profile of the ice shell. We derive
constitutive equations that predict ice composition as a function of the
ice shell thermal gradient and ocean composition. We show that evolving
solidification rates of the ocean and hydrologic features within the
shell produce compositional variations (ice bulk salinities of 5-50% of
the ocean salinity) that can affect the material properties of the ice.
As the shell thickens, less salt is entrained at the ice-ocean
interface, which implies Europa’s ice shell is compositionally
homogeneous below ~ 1 km. Conversely, the solidification
of water filled fractures or lenses introduces substantial compositional
variations within the ice shell, creating gradients in mechanical and
thermal properties within the ice shell that could help initiate and
sustain geological activity. Our results suggest that ocean materials
entrained within Europa’s ice shell affect the formation of geologic
terrain and that these structures could be confirmed by planned
spacecraft observations.