New Evidence Suggests Pluto May Be Geologically Active Beneath Its Icy Surface
Data from NASA's New Horizons mission continues to yield surprises about Pluto. Scientists examining images of the enormous Sputnik Planitia glacier have identified dark features consistent with liquid nitrogen rising through cracks from deep beneath the surface.
Computer models indicate that nitrogen ice at the glacier's base could melt under appropriate pressure and temperature conditions, then travel upward through small conduits in a manner similar to groundwater movement on Earth. If confirmed, this would represent the first evidence of active liquid flow on Pluto in recent geological time.
The finding suggests that despite its small size and vast distance from the Sun, Pluto may possess a more complex internal structure and greater geological activity than previously understood. Researchers note that subsurface liquid processes could help explain other features observed on the dwarf planet's surface.