Gravity-induced ice compaction and subsurface porosity on icy moons

Abstract

Our understanding of the surface porosity of icy moons and its evolution with depth remains limited, including the precise scale at which ice compaction occurs under self-weight pressure. This parameter is of crucial interest for the correct interpretation of current remote sensing data (spectroscopy in the visible, infrared to passive microwave) but also for planetary exploration when designing a lander, a rover or a cryobot. In situ exploration of the ice crust would require knowledge about subsurface porosity. This study employs a compaction model solely driven by overburden pressure based on prior research. The formulation for density as a function of depth, incorporates an essential parameter: the ice compaction coefficient. To determine this coefficient, we fit our depth-dependent density model to existing data obtained from Earth-based measurements of ice cores in Antarctica and North Greenland. Our results yield a typical lengthscale for ice compaction on Earth of approximately 20.1±0.6m , consistent with the existing literature. We apply the model to Europa, which due to its lower gravity, has a typical ice compaction scale of 150±4m, when assuming an Earth-like compaction coefficient. We compare it with the depths scanned by current spaceborne data and find that porosity can be considered constant when accounting only for gravity-induced compaction.