Evidence for Large-Scale Cryovolcanism on Pluto

Evidence for Large-Scale Cryovolcanism on Pluto

The New Horizons mission revolutionized our understanding of Pluto with its 2015 fly-by, revealing a diverse planetary surface with a range of apparent ages. The topographic rises of Wright and Piccard Montes dominate a region southwest of Sputnik Planitia that displays a relative paucity of craters, indicating a young surface age. This apparent youth and the broad resemblance of the montes to volcanic edifices suggest cryovolcanic resurfacing in the region. Cryovolcanism is a collection of processes whereby subsurface water-ice in cold environments can extrude onto the surface as lava does on Earth.