Convection in a volatile nitrogen-ice-rich layer drives Pluto's geological vigour.
@article{McKinnon2016ConvectionIA, title={Convection in a volatile nitrogen-ice-rich layer drives Pluto's geological vigour.}, author={William B. McKinnon and Francis Nimmo and Teresa Wong and Paul M. Schenk and Oliver L. White and J. H. Roberts and J. M. Moore and John R. Spencer and Alan D. Howard and Orkan M. Umurhan and S. Alan Stern and H. Weaver and Cathy B. Olkin and Leslie A. Young and K. Ennico Smith}, journal={Nature}, year={2016}, volume={534 7605}, pages={ 82-5 } }
The vast, deep, volatile-ice-filled basin informally named Sputnik Planum is central to Pluto's vigorous geological activity. Composed of molecular nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide ices, but dominated by nitrogen ice, this layer is organized into cells or polygons, typically about 10 to 40 kilometres across, that resemble the surface manifestation of solid-state convection. Here we report, on the basis of available rheological measurements, that solid layers of nitrogen ice with a…
98 Citations
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