The stress state in the ice shell due to solidification of the liquid water layer, and the resurfacing event of the icy satellites

Abstract

In many icy satellites, extensional tectonic features can be seen. These surface features considered to be formed due to surface tensional stress, and a source of the stress is generally considered to be global volume change of the satellite. In the evolution of the icy satellites, solidification of the liquid water has significantly contributed to formation of the extensional features. To estimate the stress state in the icy shell, first, we performed a numerical simulation for an internal thermal history and a moving phase boundary problem. Furthermore, we calculate the stress in the viscoelastic shell due to solidification of liquid water. We will report the results of these calculations and its dependence of satellites' size and shell viscosity.