Summary:
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Potential Ocean Discovery
A new study indicates that Miranda, one of Uranus’ moons, may contain a vast subsurface ocean, challenging previous beliefs about its frozen state. -
Voyager 2 Images Revisited
Research led by Caleb Strom and colleagues involved analyzing images from Voyager 2 to understand Miranda’s unique surface features, suggesting they resulted from tidal heating. -
Modeling Interior Structures
The team developed a computer model to test various interior structures, finding that a subsurface ocean likely existed 100-500 million years ago, approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) deep. -
Tidal Heating Mechanism
Tidal forces from interactions with neighboring moons are believed to have warmed Miranda’s interior, potentially maintaining the ocean and shaping its geological features. -
Current State of the Moon
The researchers propose that Miranda’s interior hasn’t fully frozen, as the absence of expected surface cracks suggests some residual warmth and the possibility of an existing thin ocean.
Read more at: Phys.org
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