ANNOUNCEMENT
— June 2003 —
Convener —
Hosted by —
Sponsored by —
Scientific Organizing Committee
Paul Schenk,
Lunar and Planetary Institute
Francis Nimmo,
University College, London
Louise Prockter,
Johns Hopkins University,
Applied Physics Laboratory
Lunar and Planetary Institute
Lunar and Planetary Institute
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Adam Showman,
University of Arizona
William McKinnon,
Washington University
Simon Kattenhorn,
University of Idaho
Jeffrey Kargel,
U.S. Geological Survey
Paul Schenk,
Lunar and Planetary Institute
Francis Nimmo,
University College, London
Louise Prockter,
Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory
| PURPOSE AND SCOPE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Workshop on Europa's Icy Shell: Past, Present, and Future will be held on
February 6–8, 2004, at the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI). The LPI is
housed in the Center for Advanced Space Studies, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard,
Houston, Texas.
The large jovian satellite Europa is believed to have a subsurface ocean. This ocean could harbor organic chemistry or even biological organisms and is second only to Mars as a target for future exploration. It is also a prime focus of the proposed Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) mission currently in development. Europa's ocean is currently covered by an icy shell of uncertain thickness and it is this icy shell that controls how the ocean and any biological agents within it interact with the surface of Europa. The purpose of this three-day workshop is to discuss our current understanding of the icy shell, its physical state and evolution, and its interaction with the putative subsurface ocean. Our aim is to bring together divergent and diverse viewpoints to assess the limits of our current knowledge, to advance our collective understanding of this unique environment, and to foster new ideas and future strategies. All aspects of the icy shell will be considered, including composition, physical state (e.g, thickness, rheology), geologic history, present-day activity, biology, and exploration goals. Observational, theoretical, and speculative presentations are encouraged from the planetary and terrestrial communities.
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| WORKSHOP FORMAT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The workshop will feature invited reviews of relevant data and theoretical
constraints, contributed papers, posters, and extended discussion periods.
Topical sessions will be held each morning and afternoon.
A special issue with papers from this workshop or related research is planned for a major planetary research journal. Tentative plans include a dinner on the second evening.
FUTURE ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Further details regarding the program, topics for discussion, opportunities for
participation, and guidelines for abstract and poster preparation will
be included in the second announcement that will be posted on this Web site.
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INDICATION OF INTEREST
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To subscribe to a mailing list to receive electronic reminders and special
announcements relating to the meeting via e-mail, please submit an
electronic Indication of Interest form by July 30, 2003.
| Please submit the Indication of Interest even if you do not care about electronic notification of future announcements. The number of e-mails tallied will also serve to facilitate meeting planning.
CONTACT INFORMATION
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For further information regarding the format and scientific objectives of the meeting, contact | Paul Schenk Lunar and Planetary Institute phone: 281-486-2157 e-mail: schenk@lpi.usra.edu.
For information regarding meeting logistics, contact
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