Abstract
Data from the New Horizons mission to Pluto show no craters on Sputnik Planum down to the detection limit (2 km for low resolution data, 625 m for high resolution data). The number of small Kuiper Belt Objects that should be impacting Pluto is known to some degree from various astronomical surveys. We combine these geological and telescopic observations to make an order of magnitude estimate that the surface age of Sputnik Planum must be less than 10 million years. This maximum surface age is surprisingly young and implies that this area of Pluto must be undergoing active resurfacing, presumably through some cryo-geophysical process. We discuss three possible resurfacing mechanisms and the implications of each one for Pluto's physical properties.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | e0147386 |
| Journal | PLoS One |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2016 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Medicine(all)
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The surface age of sputnik planum, pluto, must be less than 10 million years. / Trilling, David E.
In: PLoS One, Vol. 11, No. 1, e0147386, 01.01.2016.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The surface age of sputnik planum, pluto, must be less than 10 million years
AU - Trilling, David E
PY - 2016/1/1
Y1 - 2016/1/1
N2 - Data from the New Horizons mission to Pluto show no craters on Sputnik Planum down to the detection limit (2 km for low resolution data, 625 m for high resolution data). The number of small Kuiper Belt Objects that should be impacting Pluto is known to some degree from various astronomical surveys. We combine these geological and telescopic observations to make an order of magnitude estimate that the surface age of Sputnik Planum must be less than 10 million years. This maximum surface age is surprisingly young and implies that this area of Pluto must be undergoing active resurfacing, presumably through some cryo-geophysical process. We discuss three possible resurfacing mechanisms and the implications of each one for Pluto's physical properties.
AB - Data from the New Horizons mission to Pluto show no craters on Sputnik Planum down to the detection limit (2 km for low resolution data, 625 m for high resolution data). The number of small Kuiper Belt Objects that should be impacting Pluto is known to some degree from various astronomical surveys. We combine these geological and telescopic observations to make an order of magnitude estimate that the surface age of Sputnik Planum must be less than 10 million years. This maximum surface age is surprisingly young and implies that this area of Pluto must be undergoing active resurfacing, presumably through some cryo-geophysical process. We discuss three possible resurfacing mechanisms and the implications of each one for Pluto's physical properties.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84958191530&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0147386
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0147386
M3 - Article
VL - 11
JO - PLoS One
JF - PLoS One
SN - 1932-6203
IS - 1
M1 - e0147386
ER -