Evolution of Lineaments on Europa: Clues from Galileo Multispectral Imaging Observations

landscape that has escaped erasure by heating from below is imprinted with generation after generation of intersecting Four distinct classes of lineaments can be described on the ridges at various scales and orientations. Relatively recent fracbasis of Galileo’s improved spectral and spatial coverage of tures expose coarse-grained, clean ice in the shallow subsurface, Europa: (1) incipient cracks are narrow (,1.6 km wide) and possibly accounting for the distinctive color of the satellite in are generally colorless fractures which tend to crosscut other comparison to the other icy moons of Jupiter. The process of lineament types, (2) ridges have raised relief, tend to be wider lineament formation may be continuing today; the bright band (3–6 km) than the cracks, and are distinct in color from the Agenor Linea is among the leading candidates for current icy plains they transect, (3) triple bands have dim medial stripes activity.  1998 Academic Press similar in color and width to the ridges and broad (8–12 km wide) diffuse low-albedo margins tainted by a red–brown nonice contaminant, and (4) ancient bands are generally similar in width to ridges and triple bands and have colors intermediate