Lecture
Tidal Forces and Tidal Heating

 


From: zebu.uregon.edu/~soper/Moon/tidalforces.html

How tidal heating works

Condition 1: Must have a massive center planet
Condition 2: Must have a moon orbiting close to that massive planet.
Condition 3: Must have an orbital resonance with an outer moon
Outer moon pulls inner moon into an eccentric orbit since outer moon will "see" the inner moon in the same place every 2 orbits of the inner moon (in this case)
Distance from masive planet changes becasue the outer moon pulls the inner moon out of a circular orbit. An exaggerated view of the "kneading" of a planet undergoing tidal heating due to changes in the tidal force it feels.
Stolen from Toby Smith, Astronomy 150

Do Io's and Europa's possible heat sources satisfy these conditions?

Is tidal heating occurring?

What are the resonances in the Jovian system?
  • Orbital period for Io: 1.77 days
  • Orbital period for Europa: 3.55 days
  • Orbital period for Ganymede: 7.16 days

(You shouldn't need a calculator!)

So, why isn't our Moon undergoing tidal heating? Which criteria are not being satisfied?

 

Mars has two moons: an inner moon Phobos and an outer moon Deimos. Phobos is not being tidally heated. Which of the above criteria for tidal heating are not being met (would you guess)?