Abstract: In July of 2015 the New Horizons spacecraft flew through the Pluto system, initiating detailed exploration of the Kuiper belt. Pluto turned out to be a world of remarkable geologic diversity, and its surfaces display a range of ages, suggesting geologic activity of various forms has persisted for much of Pluto’s history. Pluto has some familiar features (e.g., tectonics, cratering) but also features that are unique (e.g., a giant convecting nitrogen ice sheet, and large cryovolcanic constructs). Pluto also has a thin atmosphere that creates seasonal cycles of volatile ice (N2, CH4, and CO) sublimation and redeposition that reshape and mantle Pluto’s surface.
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This is a Zoom Seminar
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