Ability of low-viscosity melt to construct pronounced domes

Establish whether low-viscosity cryomagma or impact melt can build the large, pronounced topographic domes observed within impact craters on Ganymede and Callisto, and delineate the mechanisms and conditions that would permit dome construction despite the melt’s low viscosity.

Background

The icy volcanism hypothesis proposes dome formation via eruption of low-viscosity liquid water or brine to the surface. Given current thermal models that place oceans at great depth, the physical plausibility of constructing substantial domes from such low-viscosity material remains uncertain. Clarifying whether and how low-viscosity melts can create pronounced relief is necessary to evaluate cryovolcanic dome formation on Ganymede and Callisto.