Planetary Science Seminar - spring-2024
Interaction between Channel Development and Thrust Tectonics on Charon
May 9, 2024
noon - 1 p.m.
Geology 4677
Presented By:
- Hanzhang Chen and Travis Gilmore -
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New Horizons' flyby of the Pluto system revealed various landforms on the surface of Charon. Though a global extension model has been proposed, the observed landscape was not systematically studied. This study adopts geomorphological mapping, landscape filtering, and topography analysis to interpret the geologic evolution history of Charon's northern highlands. Based on the mapping and quantitative analysis, we propose that before global extension, out-of-sequence thrusting and syn-tectonic glaciation may also have shaped the landscape on Charon. We inferred the subsurface structure of the thrusts through fitting surface topography with an elastic dislocation model. The fitting results suggest the thrust dip of 25 to 30 degrees and the elastic thickness of the ice shell to be 30 to 45 km.