The geology of Pluto and Charon through the eyes of New
Horizons
J. M. Moore, W. B. McKinnon, J. R. Spencer, A. D. Howard,
P. M. Schenk, R. A. Beyer, F. Nimmo, K. N. Singer,
O. M. Umurhan, O. L. White, S. A. Stern, K. Ennico,
C. B. Olkin, H. A. Weaver, L. A. Young, R. P. Binzel,
M. W. Buie, B. J. Buratti, A. F. Cheng, D. P. Cruikshank,
W. M. Grundy, I. R. Linscott, H. J. Reitsema,
D. C. Reuter, M. R. Showalter, V. J. Bray, C. L. Chavez,
C. J. A. Howett, T. R. Lauer, C. M. Lisse, A. H. Parker,
S. B. Porter, S. J. Robbins, K. Runyon, T. Stryk,
H. B. Throop, C. C. C. Tsang, A. J. Verbiscer,
A. M. Zangari, A. L. Chaikin, D. E. Wilhelms, F. Bagenal,
G. R. Gladstone, T. Andert, J. Andrews, M. Banks, B. Bauer,
J. Bauman, O. S. Barnouin, P. Bedini, K. Beisser, S. Bhaskaran,
E. Birath, M. Bird, D. J. Bogan, A. Bowman, M. Brozovic, C. Bryan,
M. R. Buckley, S. S. Bushman, A. Calloway, B. Carcich, S. Conard,
C. A. Conrad, J. C. Cook, O. S. Custodio, C. M. Dalle Ore, C. Deboy,
Z. J. B. Dischner, P. Dumont, A. M. Earle, H. A. Elliott, J. Ercol,
C. M. Ernst, T. Finley, S. H. Flanigan, G. Fountain, M. J. Freeze,
T. Greathouse, J. L. Green, Y. Guo, M. Hahn, D. P. Hamilton,
Hamilton, S. A.; Hanley, J.; Harch, A.; Hart, H. M.; Hersman, C. B.;
A. Hill, M. E. Hill, D. P. Hinson, M. E. Holdridge, M. Horanyi,
C. Jackman, R. A. Jacobson, D. E. Jennings, J. A. Kammer, H. K. Kang,
D. E. Kaufmann, P. Kollmann, S. M. Krimigis, D. Kusnierkiewicz,
J. E. Lee, K. L. Lindstrom, A. W. Lunsford, V. A. Mallder,
N. Martin, D. J. McComas, R. L. McNutt, D. Mehoke, T. Mehoke,
E. D. Melin, M. Mutchler, D. Nelson, J. I. Nunez, A. Ocampo, W. M. Owen,
M. Paetzold, B. Page, J. W. Parker, F. Pelletier, J. Peterson,
N. Pinkine, M. Piquette, S. Protopapa, J. Redfern, J. H. Roberts,
G. Rogers, D. Rose, K. D. Retherford, M. G. Ryschkewitsch,
E. Schindhelm, B. Sepan, M. Soluri, D. Stanbridge, A. J. Steffl,
D. F. Strobel, M. E. Summers, J. R. Szalay, M. Tapley, A. Taylor,
H. Taylor, G. L. Tyler, M. H. Versteeg, M. Vincent, R. Webbert,
S. Weidner, G. E. Weigle, K. Whittenburg, B. G. Williams, K. Williams,
S. Williams, W. W. Woods, E. Zirnstein.
Science 351, 1284 (2016).
ABSTRACT
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft has revealed the complex geology
of Pluto and Charon. Pluto’s encounter hemisphere shows ongoing
surface geological activity centered on a vast basin containing a
thick layer of volatile ices that appears to be involved in convection
and advection, with a crater retention age no greater than ~10 million
years. Surrounding terrains show active glacial flow, apparent transport
and rotation of large buoyant water-ice crustal blocks, and pitting,
the latter likely caused by sublimation erosion and/or collapse. More
enigmatic features include tall mounds with central depressions that are
conceivably cryovolcanic and ridges with complex bladed textures. Pluto
also has ancient cratered terrains up to ~4 billion years old that
are extensionally faulted and extensively mantled and perhaps eroded
by glacial or other processes. Charon does not appear to be currently
active, but experienced major extensional tectonism and resurfacing
(probably cryovolcanic) nearly 4 billion years ago. Impact crater
populations on Pluto and Charon are not consistent with the steepest
impactor size-frequency distributions proposed for the Kuiper belt.
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