Basins, fractures and volcanoes: Global cartography and topography of Pluto from New Horizons

Schenk, P.; Beyer, R. A.; McKinnon, William B.; Moore, Jeffrey M.; Spencer, J. R.; White, O. L.; Singer, K. N.; Nimmo, F.; Thomason, C. J.; Lauer, Tod R.; Robbins, S. J.; Umurhan, O. M.; Grundy, W. M.; Stern, S. A.; Weaver, Harold A.; Young, L. A.; Smith, K. Ennico; Olkin, C. B.; Team, Geophysics Investigation

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2018.06.008

Cited by 84 publications

(178 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Similar conclusions to those drawn from Figures 1 and 2 can be drawn here as well. As described by Schenk et al (2018) and Moore et al (2018), relatively bluish units are concentrated along the equatorial band between 30°N and 30°S, and these have been ascribed by both authors as related to the presence of 'bladed terrains,' though there is somewhat more complex variegation in the distribution of blue color units. We discuss this more below in the context of FS bladed terrain deposits.…”

Section: Far Side Mapsmentioning

confidence: 85%

Pluto's Far Side

Stern

White

McGovern

et al. 2021

Icarus

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Section: Far Side Mapsmentioning

confidence: 85%

Pluto's Far Side

Stern

White

McGovern

et al. 2021

Icarus

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“…Topographic data was also limited to the encounter (i.e. anti-Charon) hemisphere of Pluto, because it requires high resolution imagery, and is based on the digital elevation model (DEM) of Schenk et al (2018). We also relied on maps of bolometric albedo (Buratti et al, 2017), which cover both the encounter and sub-Charon hemispheres of Pluto, albeit at vastly different spatial resolution.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All of these data products are limited to the illuminated latitudes of Pluto at the encounter epoch, i.e. northward of 38 • S (except for some limited topographic information in the "haze-illuminated" region south of the terminator on the encounter hemisphere -see Schenk et al 2018;Stern 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and energy balance of Pluto’s nitrogen ice, as seen by New Horizons in 2015

Lewis

Stansberry

Holler

et al. 2021

Icarus

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Pluto's surface is geologically complex because of volatile ices that are mobile on seasonal and longer time scales. Here we analyzed New Horizons LEISA spectral data to globally map the nitrogen ice, including nitrogen with methane diluted in it. Our goal was to learn about the seasonal processes influencing ice redistribution, to calculate the globally averaged energy balance, and to place a lower limit on Pluto's N 2 inventory. We present the average latitudinal distribution of nitrogen and investigate the relationship between its distribution and topography on Pluto by using maps that include the shifted bands of methane in solid solution with nitrogen (which are much stronger than the 2.15-µm nitrogen band) to more completely map the distribution of the nitrogen ice. We find that the global average bolometric albedo is 0.83 ± 0.11, similar to that inferred for Triton, and that a significant fraction of Pluto's N 2 is stored in Sputnik Planitia. We also used the encounter-hemisphere distribution of nitrogen ice to infer the latitudinal distribution of nitrogen over the rest of Pluto, allowing us to calculate the global energy balance. Under the assumption that Pluto's nitrogen-dominated 11.5 µbar atmosphere is in vapor pressure equilibrium with the nitrogen ice, the ice temperature is 36.93 ± 0.10 K, as measured by New Horizons' REX instrument. Combined with our global energy balance calculation, this implies that the average bolometric emissivity of Pluto's nitrogen ice is probably in the range 0.47 -0.72. This is consistent with the low emissivities estimated for Triton based on Voyager results, and may have implications for Pluto's atmospheric seasonal variations, as discussed below. The global pattern of volatile transport at the time of the encounter was from north to south, and the transition between condensation and sublimation within Sputnik Planitia is correlated with changes in the grain size and CH 4 concentration derived from the spectral maps. The low emissivity of Pluto's N 2 ice suggests that Pluto's atmosphere may undergo an extended period of constant pressure even as Pluto recedes from the Sun in its orbit.1

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“…(a) Stereo digital elevation model (DEM) of Sputnik Planitia and surrounding terrain (Schenk et al, ). (b) Simplified version of the geological map of White et al () depicting bright

{normalN}_{2}

ice plains (red), dark

{normalN}_{2}

ice plains (blue), mountains and hills lining the western rim of Sputnik Planitia (green), and bright pitted uplands of east Tombaugh Regio (cyan).…”

Section: Near‐surface Winds In Sputnik Planitiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the most striking observations of Pluto, made by the cameras aboard New Horizons during the July 2015 flyby, is a planetary‐scale multikilometer‐thick equatorial

{normalN}_{2}

‐rich ice sheet (mixed with small amounts of CO and

{CH}_{4}

), covering the floor of the Sputnik Planitia basin that extends between latitudes 25°S and 50°N at a level 3 km below the surrounding terrains (Grundy et al, ; Stern et al, ; Schenk et al, ). Highlands to the east of this structure are also covered by

{normalN}_{2}

‐rich ices, which merge with the ices of Sputnik Planitia through several valley glaciers (Howard et al, ; Protopapa et al, ; Schmitt et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pluto's Beating Heart Regulates the Atmospheric Circulation: Results From High‐Resolution and Multiyear Numerical Climate Simulations

et al. 2020

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Pluto's atmosphere is mainly nitrogen and is in solid‐gas equilibrium with the surface nitrogen ice. As a result, the global nitrogen ice distribution and the induced nitrogen condensation‐sublimation flows strongly control the atmospheric circulation. It is therefore essential for Global Climate Models to accurately account for the global nitrogen ice distribution in order to realistically simulate Pluto's atmosphere. Here we present a set of new numerical simulations of Pluto's atmosphere in 2015 performed with a Global Climate Model using a 50‐km horizontal resolution (3.75° × 2.5°) and taking into account the latest topography and ice distribution data, as observed by the New Horizons spacecraft. In order to analyze the seasonal evolution of Pluto's atmosphere dynamics, we also performed simulations at coarser resolution (11.25° × 7.5°) but covering three Pluto years. The model predicts a near‐surface western boundary current inside the Sputnik Planitia basin in 2015, which is consistent with the dark wind streaks observed in this region. We find that this atmospheric current could explain the differences in ice composition and color observed in the northwestern regions of Sputnik Planitia, by significantly impacting the nitrogen ice sublimation rate in these regions through processes possibly involving conductive heat flux from the atmosphere, transport of dark materials by the winds, and surface albedo positive feedbacks. In addition, we find that this current controls Pluto's general atmospheric circulation, which is dominated by a retrorotation, independently of the nitrogen ice distribution outside Sputnik Planitia. This exotic circulation regime could explain many of the geological features and longitudinal asymmetries in ice distribution observed all over Pluto's surface.

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Basins, fractures and volcanoes: Global cartography and topography of Pluto from New Horizons

Cited by 84 publications

References 55 publications

Pluto's Far Side

Pluto's Far Side

Distribution and energy balance of Pluto’s nitrogen ice, as seen by New Horizons in 2015

Pluto's Beating Heart Regulates the Atmospheric Circulation: Results From High‐Resolution and Multiyear Numerical Climate Simulations

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