Jakarta –
NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft managed to discover the presence of icebergs on Pluto in July 2015. This finding is the result of several years of observations of the dwarf planet.
For your information, Pluto has been removed from the list of planets in our solar system because it has been identified as a dwarf planet and not the type of planet that orbits the Sun. Since then, Pluto has often been overlooked in discussions related to astronomy.
After NASA took photos of the surface, it was discovered that there were mountains made of solid water ice with a layer of methane snow.
The photos also show smooth plains of nitrogen ice. While studying the photos, researchers discovered that some of the large mountain domes were actually volcanoes.
This discovery also changed scientists’ perspective on this dwarf planet by revealing the complexity of its geology and reviving the idea that there could be life in the vast universe.
Ice Volcano Conditions on Pluto
Scientists describe Pluto’s icebergs in two mountainous mounds of ice, named Wright Mons and Piccard Mons, 3 miles (4.8 km) high above the surface and 90 miles (144 km) wide, as quoted from World Atlas.
It’s so amazing, the volume of this iceberg on Pluto is the same as one of the most terrifying volcanoes in the world, namely Mauna Loa in Hawaii,
However, researchers say that this mountain does not release lava into the atmosphere like volcanoes on Earth. Instead, these icebergs produce cold water flows that resemble glaciers. Apart from that, Pluto’s volcanic eruptions can also release methane and nitrogen gas.
Despite being in a cold lunar environment, Pluto’s icebergs have their own special features. Where it stretches over a vast expanse consisting of several icy volcanoes with unique textures, dotting the terrain with interesting patterns of rising and falling.
So the reason why Pluto has a hot temperature
The discovery of ice volcanoes also indicates that Pluto may have an internal heat source that is still active and triggers nitrogen-methane eruptions onto the planet’s surface.
According to scientists, this is a unique discovery, because Pluto’s small size and no orbit should have lost most of its internal heat.
However, recent analysis shows that Pluto’s volcanoes are still active, and suggests the presence of water flowing beneath the surface. Regarding this, scientists do not yet know what is the source of this heat.
Could Pluto Be Habitable?
Although scientists believe Pluto has a subsurface ocean, the discovery of icy volcanoes also makes it possible that water or other fluids still exist and may be close to the surface.
Later, the idea of an internal heat source increased speculation about life on Pluto.
However, major challenges arise because the continuity of nutritional sources is necessary for the survival of organisms, especially in the face of episodic volcanism which makes the water temperature changeable and difficult to live in.
In the future, the sustainability of Pluto’s iceberg activity is still a question mark for scientists. Considering that some volcanoes on Earth go dormant and then reactivate, this finding is a complex dynamic.
To get further answers, scientists say more equipment and research are needed. Future missions with ice-penetrating radar are also expected to provide deeper insight into Pluto and its volcanoes.
Watch the video “Scientists Say Humans Have Pushed Earth into the ‘Planetary Boundary’ Danger Zone”
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2023-11-20 13:00:00
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