Frictional Strength, Stability, and Potential Shear Heating on Icy Satellite Faults

Abstract

We determined the frictional strength and stability of polycrystalline ice and ice‐ammonia to constrain fault behavior on icy satellites such as Enceladus and Europa. Friction experiments including velocity steps and slide‐hold‐slide tests were conducted to measure the steady‐state coefficient of friction, velocity dependence and healing between temperatures of 98 and 248 K at a normal stress of 100 kPa. Rate‐state friction parameters determined from velocity steps provide stability values. The friction results are used to infer fault strength and frictional heating of an icy crust with depth for both a pure ice crust and one containing ammonia. We find a reduced coefficient of friction for an ammonia‐bearing crust and stronger velocity dependence in the presence of partial melt. The temperature dependence of fault stability maps a seismogenic zone with depth analogous to the synoptic model for terrestrial fault stability, where we find instability between 0.7 and 3.9 km with a return to stability from 4.6 km if we assume a 6 km ice shell. We consider the role of sliding velocity and fault thickness on localized frictional heating in both systems and estimate the depth of melt generation in an ammonia‐bearing crust. Our results imply that faults at conditions similar to icy satellites can be seismogenic.