Modelling Water-Rock Interactions in the Sub-surface Environment of Enceladus.

Hamp, Rachael; Schwenzer, Susanne; Olsson-Francis, Karen and Pearson, Victoria (2020). Modelling Water-Rock Interactions in the Sub-surface Environment of Enceladus. In: British Planetary Science Conference 2020, 13-15 Jan 2020, Oxford.

Abstract

Understanding the geochemical cycles occurring at the water-rock interface on Enceladus is crucial for establishing the potential habitability of the subsurface environment. Using data collected by the Cassini spacecraft (2005-2017) and estimates of the starting composition of the sub-surface ocean on Enceladus, we have modelled how the ocean interacts with a silicate simulant representing the rocky interior. The results from these models define a hypothesized modern ocean chemistry and provide an insight into the geochemical reactions occurring at the water-rock interface. The results from this work support observations made by Cassini, suggesting our chosen starting conditions could provide an insight into the history of Enceladus.

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