Scientists find evidence of six landslides on Pluto in New Horizons’ archival imagery
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Using archival imagery from New Horizons’ fly-by of Pluto in 2015, scientists have identified the remains of six different landslides, once again indicating that this distant planet is geologically active despite being so far from the Sun.
Each of the landslides is located along the inner rim of an impact crater, where the terrain is steep. The largest is roughly 130 square kilometers in area, or about twice the size of Manhattan. That’s near the upper size range of landslides that typically occur on Earth, Brunetti says.
The landslides range in height from 1,500 to 2,200 meters. That’s somewhat puny compared with landslides elsewhere in the solar system, but these features have a trick up their proverbial sleeves: Compared with landslides of similar heights, those on Pluto tend to run out over longer distances. That’s a sign that material tumbling down a slope on Pluto experiences less friction, on average, the team concluded. That conclusion can help constrain the material properties of Pluto, Brunetti and her colleagues suggest.
The image to the right, shows the landslide in Coughlin Crater. The red line indicates the material that fell from the crater rim, while the dashed white line indicates a crater impact that might have instigated the landslide. The scientists estimate the avalanche flowed down into the crater flow about 1.4 miles.
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Bob, I don’t want this comment to come across as rude, but I’m genuinely curious. What is the significance of a landslide?
In my head this is coming across as Hillary Clinton, “why does it matter?” But it’s not that.
It shows that though there is little energy from the Sun, it is still possible for things to change on Pluto. There might even be a freeze/thaw cycle, though involving nitrogen at very cold temperatures in a manner quite alien from Earth.
Before New Horizons it was assumed Pluto was more like the Moon, mostly dead in terms of geology, with changes occurring very slowly over millions of years. New Horizons’ data continues to show this is not so, that Pluto appears to change in a manner comparable to Mars.
Thank you! That makes sense. I was thinking more gravity not geology. I appreciate it.