May 16th 2016
The word tectonics from Latin means "Pertaining to Building", In particular it describes the processes of "Mountain Building" according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia further says,
Orogeny refers to forces and events leading to a large structural deformation of the Earth's lithosphere (crust and uppermost mantle) due to the interaction between tectonic plates. Orogens or orogenic belts (Fold mountains) develop when a continental plate is crumpled and is pushed upwards to form mountain ranges, and involve a great range of geological processes collectively called orogenesis.
Orogeny refers to forces and events leading to a large structural deformation of the Earth's lithosphere (crust and uppermost mantle) due to the interaction between tectonic plates. Orogens or orogenic belts (Fold mountains) develop when a continental plate is crumpled and is pushed upwards to form mountain ranges, and involve a great range of geological processes collectively called orogenesis.
Fold Mountains
Below is an image of the varying forms of fold mountains that are created by layers of land pressing against each other.
Fold mountains on earth take on a variety of twist and turns. Want to see more examples?
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While I have argued against NASA's interpretation of Charon showing tectonics based on one plate and what I call ocean erosion, I have never said Pluto doesn't show signs of tectonic activity. On page 15, I suggested the southern part of the North/South Ridge Line could, in fact, be considered tectonics.
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This scene demonstrates processes exist that are building mountains through compressive forces, 3 to 5 ridges and troughs can be seen along Pluto's southern ridge line.
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The north portion of Pluto's ridge line has mountain ranges that run mostly vertical.
It seems to me Sputnik Planum has created a softened area in the middle of Pluto and gravity is squeezing the planet into a tighter ball which is creating ripples in the surface land ice. As fluid rises to the surface of SP and sublimates, cavities are left underground. Gravity is folding the surface land ice to fill these voids. This process is tectonics or mountain building. When all this folding takes place, one would expect to see subsequent effects such as venting gasses or even volcanoes which we see on the surface east of SP. It appears as though fluids are also welling up from below the eastern land ice. |
The Desert Dunes also appear to be tectonic in nature. Nestled between some of these mountain ranges are lakes which suggest some form of a fluid is welling up from below.
The below image shows a fracture running diagonally spewing out some dry dusty tholin. As the fracture migrates eastwards, wet gray conically shaped potholes dominate the terrain. Whatever is spewing out of these holes is either coating the land ice or heating it so as to create a smooth surface around the edges. I'm going to assume gray fluid is belching out of the ground as there is also evidence of isolated lakes which appear to have formed from underground gray liquid which is likely subsurface nitrogen which reached its triple point. This fracture line runs under the Desert Dune mountain ridges creating deep collapsed holes with tholin inside and there is a lake that appears to be completely isolated suggesting this fluid came up from below.
The below image shows a fracture running diagonally spewing out some dry dusty tholin. As the fracture migrates eastwards, wet gray conically shaped potholes dominate the terrain. Whatever is spewing out of these holes is either coating the land ice or heating it so as to create a smooth surface around the edges. I'm going to assume gray fluid is belching out of the ground as there is also evidence of isolated lakes which appear to have formed from underground gray liquid which is likely subsurface nitrogen which reached its triple point. This fracture line runs under the Desert Dune mountain ridges creating deep collapsed holes with tholin inside and there is a lake that appears to be completely isolated suggesting this fluid came up from below.
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Here you can see how the Desert Dune has fat finger like bulged rolling mountain ridge lines (from subsurface pressure) and the land ice has fractured under the stress showing a vertical wall covered with tholin. |
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Don't
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There is even some suggestive evidence of another cryovolcano at the center of the teardrop's collapsed mound but the material coming out of this cryovolcano is blueish gray. I've pointed to the potential cryovolcano in red.
Since the cryovolcano in the center of the teardrop is spewing out the same colored material as can be seen at the lead edge of the Desert Dune bulging finger, it seems reasonable to assume the ridges that make up the desert dunes could have been created by this process of cryovolcanism in conjunction with softened land that has been folded into mountains by pressure and stress.
Since the cryovolcano in the center of the teardrop is spewing out the same colored material as can be seen at the lead edge of the Desert Dune bulging finger, it seems reasonable to assume the ridges that make up the desert dunes could have been created by this process of cryovolcanism in conjunction with softened land that has been folded into mountains by pressure and stress.
North of the spider there are a few impacts that hit traveling from a north to south direction as evidenced by the surface material being pushed southward into a mound or berm. At the lower portion of the berm vents have appeared and are spewing out some tholin from below the grayish methane snow. Toward the upper right portion of this picture small cryovolcanoes are developing without the aid of an impact suggesting subsurface pressures and fluids exist in this area.
What I've learned by studying these cryovolcanoes is that Pluto needs some form of a liquid under pressure to create these things.
Sandwiched between the Burp Bulge's eastern land ice and SP is the angular ridge line where small cryovolcanoes dot the ridge. The fluid's pressure is likely created by squeezing between the land ice and a subsurface ice layer rubbing against each other as things shift and move generating heat and pressure similar to subduction.
In the wetlands sandwiched between SP and the Desert Dunes (Tartarus Dorsa), we see cryovolcanoes in the form of vents spewing out tholin below the surface as well as lakes that appear completely isolated suggesting fluid is bubbling up from below the surface and are under pressure.
At the center of the spider we see cryovolcanoes spewing out yellowish material which is likely a mixture of tholin and gray stuff mixing together below the surface.
Just below the spider contained within the tear drop we see cryovolcanoes spewing out gray material.
And here (above image), north of the spider we see vents and cryovolcanoes suggesting there is some form of fluid below the surface which is sandwiched between two ice sheets in motion pressing against each other creating heat pressure with subsequent fluids and gasses. This all demonstrates tectonics in action.
Sandwiched between the Burp Bulge's eastern land ice and SP is the angular ridge line where small cryovolcanoes dot the ridge. The fluid's pressure is likely created by squeezing between the land ice and a subsurface ice layer rubbing against each other as things shift and move generating heat and pressure similar to subduction.
In the wetlands sandwiched between SP and the Desert Dunes (Tartarus Dorsa), we see cryovolcanoes in the form of vents spewing out tholin below the surface as well as lakes that appear completely isolated suggesting fluid is bubbling up from below the surface and are under pressure.
At the center of the spider we see cryovolcanoes spewing out yellowish material which is likely a mixture of tholin and gray stuff mixing together below the surface.
Just below the spider contained within the tear drop we see cryovolcanoes spewing out gray material.
And here (above image), north of the spider we see vents and cryovolcanoes suggesting there is some form of fluid below the surface which is sandwiched between two ice sheets in motion pressing against each other creating heat pressure with subsequent fluids and gasses. This all demonstrates tectonics in action.
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Above is a mud dauber's home. Here is how some wind blown ices look on a cell tower here on Earth.
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In this image you can see how wind has blown material (tholin) off some icebergs which are floating in the nitrogen. This shows the direction of the strongest winds coming from the north and blowing southward. In the images below you will see how the mud dauber like mounds are all facing south indicating how the same direction of wind blowing effect is building the mounds with all their openings facing south. |
The above images help explain visually what is happening east of Sputnik Planum.
Below is a portion of the landscape of Pluto east of SP and west of the Desert Dunes (just west of the spider).
The surface land ice is softened by warmer underground fluid which is likely created by sheets of ices grinding against each other along with other heating processes and is also turning the fluid into moist gaseous vapors.
Below (outlined in blue) is the softened land with venting sublimation pits (center of image) nearly identical to what we see on the surface of SP, these are the beginning stages of the mound like mountains with sharp edges. The moist gaseous vapors rise out of the pits and freeze creating tubes like the mud dauber house. The northern snow demonstrates how the snow is blown from the north where its thickest to the south demonstrating the direction of Pluto's strongest winds. These winds freeze the moist gasses as they escape from the softened land so the mud daubers are formed with their holes exposed toward the south.
The moist warmer gasses come out of the vents, in some places it runs down the surface creating possible waterfalls or at least a flowing soft fluid that freezes on the surface and builds up like wind blow ice on earth (image above).
As this process goes on, the mud daubers extend higher and further away from their heat source and eventually the cold takes over sealing the holes creating long mud dauber ridges ending the ability of the subsurface warmth from creating larger mud dauber like mounds.
As the fluid and moist gas is expelled from the subsurface, sink holes also develop (shown in green). Click image to enlarge.
Below is a portion of the landscape of Pluto east of SP and west of the Desert Dunes (just west of the spider).
The surface land ice is softened by warmer underground fluid which is likely created by sheets of ices grinding against each other along with other heating processes and is also turning the fluid into moist gaseous vapors.
Below (outlined in blue) is the softened land with venting sublimation pits (center of image) nearly identical to what we see on the surface of SP, these are the beginning stages of the mound like mountains with sharp edges. The moist gaseous vapors rise out of the pits and freeze creating tubes like the mud dauber house. The northern snow demonstrates how the snow is blown from the north where its thickest to the south demonstrating the direction of Pluto's strongest winds. These winds freeze the moist gasses as they escape from the softened land so the mud daubers are formed with their holes exposed toward the south.
The moist warmer gasses come out of the vents, in some places it runs down the surface creating possible waterfalls or at least a flowing soft fluid that freezes on the surface and builds up like wind blow ice on earth (image above).
As this process goes on, the mud daubers extend higher and further away from their heat source and eventually the cold takes over sealing the holes creating long mud dauber ridges ending the ability of the subsurface warmth from creating larger mud dauber like mounds.
As the fluid and moist gas is expelled from the subsurface, sink holes also develop (shown in green). Click image to enlarge.
Click the image to enlarge it.
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These two images are from the one large image above and are blown up for clarity.
The image immediately above shows possible waterfalls and fluid creating mud daubers. The upper mud dauber is releasing tholin while the second tier mud dauber is releasing gray nitrogen fluid. The image to the left shows possible fluids flowing out of vent holes creating mud daubers. |
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This blown up image is from the top left corner area of the large image above. |
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This whole section of land east of SP is like the mud pots at Yellowstone National Park.
When the mud like nitrogen magma bubbles upward, the 40K temperature freezes some portion of the mud along the rim. The wind blowing southward causes the freezing mud to fold over toward the south. This process repeats over and over creating the mud dauber like wind blown frozen scarps that make up this terrain. |
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Over time these bubbles of nitrogen magma mud harden into weak frozen mounds but because of the high winds they lean over sideways but retain a somewhat frigid angular look.
This allows space objects to hit Pluto at this area east of Sputnik Planum but not leave much in the way of evidence of the impact. Falling objects are absorbed into the landscape then the thick mud fluid bubbles back into the hole creating new scarped edges. 
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Now for the Desert Dunes and how they are formed.
Take a look at the hundreds if not thousands of mud daubers created by the venting moist gasses that have been frozen into these sharp edged ridges.
I've drawn arrows to a few of them but look around at this small sample and see for yourself, they are everywhere.
Take a look at the hundreds if not thousands of mud daubers created by the venting moist gasses that have been frozen into these sharp edged ridges.
I've drawn arrows to a few of them but look around at this small sample and see for yourself, they are everywhere.
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While this isn't mountain building by folding, it is mountain building by repeated freezing of gasses heavily laden with moist nitrogen methane and tholin.
There is little to no ice in these areas so this must be nitrogen/methane bubbling up from below slowly building mountainous mounds. This material must also be somewhat soft as there are no craters from impacts seen just east of SP in this area. As an object impacts, it is swallowed then new mud daubers build up rather quickly. I imagine it to be somewhat of a weird material like this Saturnian moon called Hyperion. Hyperion is primarily water ice but it's so bizarre I just had to add it here. To me, this process of mud dauber building qualifies as tectonics through cryovolcanism. |
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Penitentes
As of January 4th 2017 NASA is identifying the mud dauber like features as ice penitentes.
Wiki
Defines penitentes like this.
Louis Lliboutry noted that the key climatic condition for the differential ablation that leads to the formation of penitentes is that the dew point is always below freezing. Thus, snow will sublimate. Once the process of differential ablation starts, the surface geometry of the evolving penitente produces a positive feedback mechanism, and radiation is trapped by multiple reflections between the walls. The hollows become almost a black body for radiation, while decreased wind leads to air saturation, increasing dew point temperature and the onset of melting. In this way peaks, where mass loss is due only to sublimation, will remain, as well as the steep walls, which intercept only a minimum of solar radiation. In the troughs, the ablation is enhanced, leading to a downward growth of penitentes. A mathematical model of the process has been developed by Betterton,[7] although the physical processes at the initial stage of penitente growth, from granular snow to micropenitentes, still remain unclear. The effect of penitentes on the energy balance of the snow surface, and therefore their effect on snow melt and water resources has also been studied
Wiki
Defines penitentes like this.
Louis Lliboutry noted that the key climatic condition for the differential ablation that leads to the formation of penitentes is that the dew point is always below freezing. Thus, snow will sublimate. Once the process of differential ablation starts, the surface geometry of the evolving penitente produces a positive feedback mechanism, and radiation is trapped by multiple reflections between the walls. The hollows become almost a black body for radiation, while decreased wind leads to air saturation, increasing dew point temperature and the onset of melting. In this way peaks, where mass loss is due only to sublimation, will remain, as well as the steep walls, which intercept only a minimum of solar radiation. In the troughs, the ablation is enhanced, leading to a downward growth of penitentes. A mathematical model of the process has been developed by Betterton,[7] although the physical processes at the initial stage of penitente growth, from granular snow to micropenitentes, still remain unclear. The effect of penitentes on the energy balance of the snow surface, and therefore their effect on snow melt and water resources has also been studied
