Leviathan Patera

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Leviathan Patera
Leviathan Patera Volcanic Dome.gif
Mosaic of Voyager 2 images of Leviathan Patera slightly lower left of center, nearby Ruach Planitia at upper right, and the surrounding Cipango Planum region
Feature typeCryovolcanic caldera, cryovolcano
LocationMonad Regio, Triton
Coordinates 17°00′N28°30′E / 17.000°N 28.500°E / 17.000; 28.500 [1]
Diameter~80 km [2]
Peak~1 km [2]
Discoverer Voyager 2
Eponym Leviathan

Leviathan Patera is a major cryovolcanic caldera on Neptune's largest moon Triton. [3] Discovered by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989, Leviathan Patera is located in Monad Regio and within Cipango Planum's western regions. Leviathan Patera is approximately 80 kilometers in diameter and may be the center of one of the largest cryovolcanic or volcanic edifices in the Solar System.

Contents

Discovery and naming

Leviathan Patera, first viewed by the Voyager 2 spacecraft on its flyby of the Neptune system on 25 August 1989, is named after the biblical Hebrew sea serpent, the Leviathan. The name was officially approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1991. [1]

Geology

Leviathan Patera is a large, steep-sided depression with a number of arcuate scarps; its general structure strongly resembles that of terrestrial collapse calderas on Earth. The northern half of Leviathan Patera's floor is ~450 m deep and largely flat, though an irregular plateau interrupts the flat floor. In contrast, the southern half of Leviathan Patera is occupied by a broad dome ~400 m high, nearly level with the surrounding plains. The northwestern section of Leviathan Patera is host to a high point approximately 1 km in height, one of the highest points in the local region. [2] Leviathan Patera is surrounded by a ring of very smooth terrain that is etched by arcuate alcoves that all face outward from the caldera center. [4] [5] :888 Leviathan Patera sits near two major tectonic features, Kraken Catena and Set Catena, likely indicating that Leviathan Patera's formation and activity is closely linked to rifting at its site. [6]

Leviathan Patera appears to be the central vent of a massive, geologically young plateau of cryovolcanic material, Cipango Planum. Eruptions of volatile material termed cryolava from Leviathan Patera constructed much of Cipango Planum's edifice and the smooth terrain immediately surrounding Leviathan Patera. Assuming Cipango Planum is a part of Leviathan Patera's cryovolcanic edifice, Leviathan Patera is the largest known cryovolcano on Triton and one of the largest volcanic features in the Solar System. [lower-alpha 1] The eruptive history of Leviathan Patera may have occurred in several stages, first erupting low-viscosity cryolava which resurfaced the surrounding plains (possibly accounting for Cipango Planum's very shallow relief), eventually transitioning to explosive eruptions before finally transitioning to erupting higher-viscosity material constructing domes within the caldera. [2] Comparatively little collapse appears to have occurred within the center of Leviathan Patera, and apparent explosion pits surround a ring fracture. [5] :920

See also

Notes

  1. Using an area of at least 490,000 km2 for Cipango Planum, [2] this significantly surpasses Olympus Mons's area of roughly 300,000 km2. [7] As Cipango Planum extended beyond Triton's terminator during Voyager 2 's closest approach, its true extent is uncertain and may be significantly larger. [2]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alba Mons</span> Martian volcano

Alba Mons is a volcano located in the northern Tharsis region of the planet Mars. It is the biggest volcano on Mars in terms of surface area, with volcanic flow fields that extend for at least 1,350 km (840 mi) from its summit. Although the volcano has a span comparable to that of the United States, it reaches an elevation of only 6.8 km (22,000 ft) at its highest point. This is about one-third the height of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano on the planet. The flanks of Alba Mons have very gentle slopes. The average slope along the volcano's northern flank is 0.5°, which is over five times lower than the slopes on the other large Tharsis volcanoes. In broad profile, Alba Mons resembles a vast but barely raised welt on the planet's surface. It is a unique volcanic structure with no counterpart on Earth or elsewhere on Mars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cryovolcano</span> Type of volcano that erupts volatiles such as water, ammonia or methane, instead of molten rock

A cryovolcano is a type of volcano that erupts gases and volatile material such as liquid water, ammonia, and hydrocarbons. The erupted material is collectively referred to as cryolava; it originates from a reservoir of subsurface cryomagma. Cryovolcanic eruptions can take many forms, such as fissure and curtain eruptions, effusive cryolava flows, and large-scale resurfacing, and can vary greatly in output volumes. Immediately after an eruption, cryolava quickly freezes, constructing geological features and altering the surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crater chain</span> Line of craters along the surface of an astronomical body

A crater chain is a line of craters along the surface of an astronomical body. The descriptor term for crater chains is catena, plural catenae, as specified by the International Astronomical Union's rules on planetary nomenclature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pele (volcano)</span> Volcano on Jupiters moon Io

Pele is an active volcano on the surface of Jupiter's moon Io. It is located on Io's trailing hemisphere at 18.7°S 255.3°W. A large, 300-kilometer (190 mi) tall volcanic plume has been observed at Pele by various spacecraft starting with Voyager 1 in 1979, though it has not been persistent. The discovery of the Pele plume on March 8, 1979 confirmed the existence of active volcanism on Io. The plume is associated with a lava lake at the northern end of the mountain Danube Planum. Pele is also notable for a persistent, large red ring circling the volcano resulting from sulfurous fallout from the volcanic plume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volcanism on Io</span> Volcanism of Io, a moon of Jupiter

Volcanism on Io, a moon of Jupiter, is represented by the presence of volcanoes, volcanic pits and lava flows on the surface. Io's volcanic activity was discovered in 1979 by Linda Morabito, an imaging scientist working on Voyager 1. Observations of Io by passing spacecraft and Earth-based astronomers have revealed more than 150 active volcanoes. As of 2004, up to 400 such volcanoes are predicted to exist based on these observations. Io's volcanism makes the satellite one of only four known currently volcanically or cryovolcanically active worlds in the Solar System

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surt (volcano)</span> Active volcano on the Jovian moon Io

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volcanism on Mars</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kraken Catena</span> Crater chain on Triton

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sotra Patera</span> Feature on Titan

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaac-Camaxtli region</span>

The Chaac-Camaxtli region is a volcanic region on Jupiter's moon Io, located from approximately 5 to 20°N and 130 to 160°W in its anti-Jovian hemisphere. It consists mainly of the hummocky bright plains that occupy the surface. This area is defined on the west by Chaac Patera, and on the east by Camaxtli Patera. At least 10 distinct volcanic centers are located in the region, making it a volcanically active region on Io's surface. Most of the volcanism here is expressed as paterae, which range in size from circular to elliptical. A patera is defined by the International Astronomical Union as "irregular or complex craters with scalloped edges." The largest volcanic structure here is the Chaac Patera. The paterae found in the Chaac-Camaxtli region are Chaac, Balder Patera, Grannos, Ababinili, Ruaumoko, Steropes, Camaxtli, Tien Mu, Utu, and Mentu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vulcan Planitia</span> Major plain on Charon

Vulcan Planitia, or Vulcan Planum, is the unofficial name given to a large plain on the southern hemisphere of Pluto's moon Charon. It discovered by New Horizons during its flyby of Pluto in July 2015. It is named after the fictional planet Vulcan in the science-fiction series Star Trek. The name is not approved by International Astronomical Union (IAU) as of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright Mons</span> Mountain on Pluto

Wright Mons is a large, roughly circular mountain and likely cryovolcano on the dwarf planet Pluto. Discovered by the New Horizons spacecraft in 2015, it is located southwest of Sputnik Planitia within Hyecho Palus, adjacent to the Tenzing Montes and Belton Regio. A relatively young geological feature, Wright Mons has attracted attention as one of the most apparent examples of recent geological activity on Pluto and borders numerous other similarly young features. Numerous semi-regular hills surround and partially construct the flanks of Wright Mons. Their nature remains unexplained, with few, if any, direct analogs elsewhere in the Solar System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patera (planetary nomenclature)</span> Irregular type of crater

PateraPAT-ər-ə is an irregular crater, or a complex crater with scalloped edges on a celestial body. Paterae can have any origin, although the majority of them were created by volcanism. The term comes from Latin, where it refers to a shallow bowl used in antique cultures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Set Catena</span> Crater chain on Triton

Set Catena is a pit chain (catena) and likely tectonic fault located on Triton, the largest natural satellite of Neptune. It, along with Kraken Catena, is located near Leviathan Patera, a major cryovolcanic feature; as such, Set Catena may have played a role in rift-induced cryovolcanic activity in Leviathan Patera. Set Catena extends radially northwards from Leviathan Patera, terminating at another irregularly-shaped walled depression. Set Catena consists of semi-regularly spaced pits roughly 20 km separated from each other, with each pit being on average 10 km wide and up to 500 m deep. The pits may have formed from collapse or from explosive cryovolcanic eruptions, and may have been subsequently expanded by mass wasting processes. Set Catena may be a northeastern extension of Raz Fossae, a similar fault system southwest of Leviathan Patera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Triton</span> Geologic structure and composition of Triton

The geology of Triton encompasses the physical characteristics of the surface, internal structure, and geological history of Neptune's largest moon Triton. With a mean density of 2.061 g/cm3, Triton is roughly 15-35% water ice by mass; Triton is a differentiated body, with an icy solid crust atop a probable subsurface ocean and a rocky core. As a result, Triton's surface geology is largely driven by the dynamics of water ice and other volatiles such as nitrogen and methane. Triton's geology is vigorous, and has been and continues to be influenced by its unusual history of capture, high internal heat, and its thin but significant atmosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuonela Planitia</span> Walled plain on Triton

Tuonela Planitia is an elongated plain and probable cryolava lake on Neptune's moon Triton. Located in Triton's northern hemisphere within Monad Regio, it overlies part of Triton's unusual cantaloupe terrain. As with neighboring Ruach Planitia and the other walled plains on Triton, Tuonela Planitia is among the youngest features on Triton's surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruach Planitia</span> Walled plain on Triton

Ruach Planitia is a roughly circular flat plain and probable cryolava lake on Neptune's moon Triton. It is located in Triton's northern hemisphere within Monad Regio and directly borders the cryovolcanic plains of Cipango Planum to the east and Tuonela Planitia to the west. Ruach Planitia, along with the other three walled plains of Triton, is one of the youngest and flattest features observed on the moon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slidr Sulci</span> Tectonic fault on Triton

Slidr Sulci is a major tectonic fault on Neptune's largest moon Triton. It crosses a wide variety of terrains on Triton, most prominently the cantaloupe terrain, an unusually-textured region resembling the skin of a North American cantaloupe. The fault is named after the River Sliðr of Norse mythology, whose waters in Hel are filled with swords. The name Slidr Sulci was officially approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1991. As with all of Triton's surface features, Slidr Sulci was first observed by the Voyager 2 spacecraft on its flyby of Neptune and Triton in 1989.

References

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  6. Stern, A. S.; McKinnon, W. B. (March 1999). Triton's Surface Age and Impactor Population Revisited (Evidence for an Internal Ocean) (PDF). 30th Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Houston, TX. Bibcode:1999LPI....30.1766S. 1766. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
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