Gravitational spreading, bookshelf faulting, and tectonic evolution of the South Polar Terrain of Saturn’s moon Enceladus

Yin, An; Pappalardo, R.

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.07.017

Cited by 37 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 95 publications

(170 reference statements)

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“…However, it is unclear whether observed fractures formed in response to tidal stresses (cf. Yin and Pappalardo , ). For initial estimates of tidal stresses on Enceladus, the Love number, h 2 , which controls the tidal stress magnitude, was selected to fit proposed models [e.g., Hurford et al ., ; Nimmo et al ., ].…”

Section: Methodsologymentioning

confidence: 99%

The implications of tides on the Mimas ocean hypothesis

et al. 2017

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We investigate whether a present‐day global ocean within Mimas is compatible with the lack of tectonic activity on its surface by computing tidal stresses for ocean‐bearing interior structure models derived from observed librations. We find that, for the suite of compatible rheological models, peak surface tidal stresses caused by Mimas' high eccentricity would range from a factor of 2 smaller to an order of magnitude larger than those on tidally active Europa. Thermal stresses from a freezing ocean, or a past higher eccentricity, would enhance present‐day tidal stresses, exceeding the magnitudes associated with Europa's ubiquitous tidally driven fractures and, in some cases, the failure strength of ice in laboratory studies. Therefore, in order for Mimas to have an ocean, its ice shell cannot fail at the stress values implied for Europa. Furthermore, if Mimas' ocean is freezing out, the ice shell must also be able to withstand thermal stresses that could be an order of magnitude higher than the failure strength of laboratory ice samples. In light of these challenges, we consider an ocean‐free Mimas to be the most straightforward model, best supported by our tidal stress analysis.

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Section: Methodsologymentioning

confidence: 99%

The implications of tides on the Mimas ocean hypothesis

et al. 2017

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“…6a). Alternatively, we introduce a new self-rotating passive bookshelf fault system, where the rotating panels are detached from the fixed boundary "walls" (e.g., Yin and Pappalardo, 2015) (Fig. 6b).…”

Section: Active and Passive Bookshelf Faultingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study we propose a non-rigid bookshelf-fault model (e.g., Yin and Pappalardo, 2015) to resolve the above issues. Specifically, we show that an eastward decrease in Cenozoic strain results in clockwise rotation and left-slip bookshelf faulting across northern Tibet.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continental deformation accommodated by non-rigid passive bookshelf faulting: An example from the Cenozoic tectonic development of northern Tibet

2016

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Collision-induced continental deformation commonly involves complex interactions between strike-slip faulting and off-fault deformation, yet this relationship has rarely been quantified. In northern Tibet, Cenozoic deformation is expressed by the development of the >1000-km-long east-striking left-slip Kunlun, Qinling, and Haiyuan faults. Each have a maximum slip in the central fault segment exceeding 10s to ~100 km but a much smaller slip magnitude (~< 10% of the maximum slip) at their terminations. The along-strike variation of fault offsets and pervasive off-fault deformation create a strain pattern that departs from the expectations of the classic plate-like rigid-body motion and flow-like distributed deformation approximations for continental deformation. Here we propose a non-rigid bookshelf-fault model for the Cenozoic development of northern Tibet. Our model, relating discrete left-slip faulting to distributed off-fault deformation during regional clockwise rotation, explains several puzzling features, including the: (1) clockwise rotation of east-striking left-slip faults against the northeast-striking left-slip Altyn Tagh fault along the northwestern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, (2) alternating fault-parallel extension and shortening in the off-fault regions, and (3) eastward-tapering Qimen Tagh, Qaidam, and Qilian Shan thrust belts that link with the three leftslip faults. We refer to this non-rigid bookshelf fault system as passive bookshelf-faulting because the rotating bookshelf panels are detached from the rigid bounding domains. As a consequence, the wallrock of the strike-slip faults deforms to accommodate both the clockwise rotation of the left-slip faults and the space issues that arise at the bookshelf-panel ends. The model suggests that thrust and strike-slip faulting are coeval and kinematically linked. Another implication of our model is that the style and magnitude of Cenozoic deformation in northern Tibet vary considerably in the east-west direction. Thus, any single north-south cross section and 3 its kinematic reconstruction through the region does not properly quantify the complex deformational processes of plateau construction.

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“…The large number of Enceladus flybys returned a substantial set of image data from Cassini's ISS, including more than 600 images with resolution better than 500 m per pixel. This data set permits detailed investigations of Enceladus' geological evolution (e.g., Crow-Willard & Pappalardo, 2015;Martin, 2016;Patthoff & Kattenhorn, 2011;Yin & Pappalardo, 2015; and many others); however, the data are not without its challenges. The multiple-flyby nature of the Cassini mission (Matson et al, 2002) resulted in highly variable image scale, viewing geometry, and illumination conditions, and the initial reconstructed image locations are often inaccurate by several kilometers.…”

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confidence: 99%

A New Enceladus Global Control Network, Image Mosaic, and Updated Pointing Kernels From Cassini's 13‐Year Mission

Bland

Becker

Edmundson

et al. 2018

Earth and Space Science

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NASA's Cassini spacecraft spent 13 years exploring the Saturn system, including 23 targeted flybys of the small, geologically active moon Enceladus. These flybys provided a wealth of image data from Cassini's Imaging Science Subsystem. To improve the usability of the Enceladus data set, we created a new, global photogrammetric control network for Enceladus that enabled compilation of a versatile cartographic package to support geologic mapping and other investigations. The network used 586 images in four image filters with a pixel scale generally between 50 and 500 m per pixel and a phase angle less than 120° and consisted of 10,362 tie points and 173,704 individual image measures, averaging nearly 17 measures per tie point. Least squares bundle adjustment resulted in a root‐mean‐square residual of 0.45 pixel, corresponding to root‐mean‐square ground point uncertainties of 66, 51, and 46 m in latitude, longitude, and radius, respectively. Using our geodetic control network, we created new global image mosaics, coregistered flyby mosaics to support geologic mapping, and updated pointing kernels for every image used in the solution. These products, including the updated pointing kernels, are available to the community through NASA's Planetary Data System Imaging Annex. The bundle adjustment solution also yielded independently determined shape information, resulting in radii within the stated uncertainty of International Astronomical Union values. The challenges of the data set, and the technical methodology described here are applicable to bodies imaged during multiple flybys with variable viewing and illumination geometry, including other midsized satellites of Saturn, and the Europa Clipper mission.

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Gravitational spreading, bookshelf faulting, and tectonic evolution of the South Polar Terrain of Saturn’s moon Enceladus

Cited by 37 publications

References 95 publications

The implications of tides on the Mimas ocean hypothesis

The implications of tides on the Mimas ocean hypothesis

Continental deformation accommodated by non-rigid passive bookshelf faulting: An example from the Cenozoic tectonic development of northern Tibet

A New Enceladus Global Control Network, Image Mosaic, and Updated Pointing Kernels From Cassini's 13‐Year Mission

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