A new study reveals that the dwarf planet Ceres is much icier than previously thought, possibly harboring a subsurface ocean.
Scientists believe Ceres used to be like Europa, a moon with an ocean, but Ceres ’ ocean was dirty and muddy. As this ocean froze, it made an icy surface with rocks stuck inside.A groundbreaking study has overturned previous assumptions about the dwarf planet Ceres , revealing it to be far icier than previously believed. Notably, Ceres has a heavily cratered and dimpled surface, which has led scientists to debate that the visible craters indicate it can’t be very icy.
According to the researchers, there is a significant amount of water ice near Ceres’ surface, which decreases in ice content with depth. It was previously believed that if Ceres were very icy, the craters would deform quickly over time, similar to glaciers on Earth or flowing honey. Pamerleau explained that they utilized computer simulations to model how craters on Ceres relax over billions of years. He noted that even solid materials can flow over long timescales, with ice flowing more easily than rock. The deep bowls of craters create high stresses that eventually relax to a lower stress state, resulting in a shallower bowl shape through solid-state flow.
Ceres Craters Dawn Mission NASA Protoplanet Space
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