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It sounds like they can't figure out where all of the heat is coming from. Is it possible this moon is partially heated by radioactive decay like the earth is?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_gradient



Tidal heating is likely the largest contributor.

Tidal friction explains why Io is the most volanic body in the solar system and its deformation.


Enceladus has a density of 1.6 g/cc, so it is mostly water and has little of the heavy radioactive elements. It probably does have a noticeable amount of light potassium-40 though. Earth has a density of 5.5 g/cc, because it is loaded with the dense elements, especially the uranium and thorium that make much of Earth's geothermal heat.

(Numbers from Wikipedia.)




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