Re: Guidance System for Icepick I, and Cryobot thoughts

[JHByrne]

In a message dated 11/1/2002 9:27:57 AM Alaskan Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

Something has really been nagging me and I wanted to throw it out to the
group.

The assumption up to this point is that ther would be debris to navigate
around.  Why?  Unless physics has changed, ice floats.  Why would ice
pick up bolders and other various sized rocks if the entire iceflow is
sitting on an ocean? I can see small items getting carried away but
anything bigger than a pebble is gonna be hard pressed to hang around
for the upward journey.

On Europa, it's not upwelling of rocks, but asteroids and chondrites that would fill the role of 'raisins' in the pudding.  Additionally, Europa orbits in the path of sulphur particles emanating from Io -- I don't know what impact sulphur mixed with water ice would have, but presumeably, it would impact its melting properties.

-- JHB