Scientists have figured out how Pluto may exist an ocean of liquid water, which is preserved under the icy crust until today. According to the findings of researchers, the ocean emerged during the formation of the heavenly bodies, when the accretion of matter is allocated a sufficient amount of heat. About uncovering the secrets of the dwarf planet reported in an article published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
astronomers Proposed a scenario contradicts the previous view of the origin of Pluto as a ball of ice and frozen stone. The radioactive decay could provide enough heat to melt the ice and form an ocean. If Pluto was initially cold and the ice inside him melted, there would be noticeable signs of compression on the surface. Otherwise, the ocean would gradually freezing, and since ice takes more volume than water, the dwarf planet be expanded.
Scientists found signs of expansion on the surface of Pluto, which is consistent with “hot” script. Researchers have estimated that this heavenly body should be formed sufficiently short time — less than 30 thousand years. If the accretion lasted millions of years, for the existence of a liquid ocean must fall on the dwarf planet of large asteroids.
