Thermal convection with a water ice I rheology: Implications for icy satellite evolution

Abstract

We model stagnant-lid convection for water ice I using a multicomponent rheology, combining grain boundary sliding, dislocation and diffusion creep mechanisms. For the superplastic flow-dislocation creep rheology, dislocation creep (n = 4) dominates the deformation within the actively convecting sublayer whilst superplastic flow (n = 1.8) is the dominant process within the stagnant-lid whilst for the superplastic flow-diffusion creep rheology, superplastic flow is the dominant deformation mechanism within the convecting sublayer while diffusion creep (n = 1) is the dominant deformation process in the stagnant-lid. These results suggest deformation in the actively convecting sublayer is likel..