Global Ocean Suspected on Saturns Enceladus
Explanation:
Do some surface features on Enceladus roll like a
conveyor belt?
A leading interpretation of
images taken of Saturn's
most explosive moon indicate that they do.
This form of asymmetric
tectonic activity, very unusual on Earth,
likely holds clues to the internal structure of
Enceladus,
which may contain subsurface seas where
life might be able to develop.
Pictured above is
a composite of 28 images taken by the robotic
Cassini
spacecraft in 2008 just after swooping by the
ice-spewing
orb.
Inspection of these images show clear
tectonic displacements
where large portions of the surface all appear to
move all in one direction.
On the image right appears one of the most prominent tectonic divides:
Labtayt Sulci,
a canyon about one kilometer deep.
The small magnitude of Enceladus' wobble as it orbits Saturn might indicate damping
by a globally extending
underground ocean layer.
Set to Music:
APOD images from August 2015
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
