Exploring Ocean Circulation on Icy Moons Heated From Below

We numerically explore convection and general circulation of an ocean, encased in a spherical shell uniform thickness, heated from below by spatially heat flux, whose temperature at the upper surface is relaxed to freezing point water. The role salt not considered. describe phenomenology equilibrium solutions across broad range two key non-dimensional numbers: natural Rossby number, measure influence rotation, ratio inner outer radius moon's geometry tangent cylinder. Two distinct regimes are identified, both dominated Taylor columns aligned with rotation axis—“plumes” “rolls” which predominate inside outside cylinder, respectively. Inside convective plumes align that extend bottom ice shell. energize geostrophic turbulence turn generates consisting counter-rotating zonal jets. Moreover, efficient transferring surface, resulting loss ocean polar ice. If suppressed rolls cylinder become dominant mode transfer equatorial cooling. conclude if moons such as Enceladus Europa were be predominantly below, they will likely have “Jovian-like” circulation: unstratified, turbulent, geostrophically controlled strong “Taylor column” behavior