Much of the geologic activity preserved on Europa's icy surface has beenattributed to tidal deformation, mainly due to Europa's eccentric orbit.Although the surface is geologically young (30 - 80 Myr), there is littleinformation as to whether tidally-driven surface processes are ongoing.However, a recent detection of water vapor near Europa's south pole suggeststhat it may be geologically active. Initial observations indicated thatEuropa's plume eruptions are time-variable and may be linked to its tidalcycle. Saturn's moon, Enceladus, which shares many similar traits with Europa,displays tidally-modulated plume eruptions, which bolstered thisinterpretation. However, additional observations of Europa at the same time inits orbit failed to yield a plume detection, casting doubt on the tidal controlhypothesis. The purpose of this study is to analyze the timing of plumeeruptions within the context of Europa's tidal cycle to determine whether sucha link exists and examine the inferred similarities and differences betweenplume activity on Europa and Enceladus.
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