Exploring the Unique Hodgepodge Surface of Miranda, Uranus' Intriguing Moon
Miranda, one of Uranus' moons, presents an astonishing "hodgepodge" surface that captures the attention of planetary scientists. Discovered by Gerard Kuiper in 1948 and closely imaged by Voyager 2 in 1986, Miranda features a mix of geological characteristics such as cliffs, ridges, and grooves. The notable "Verona Rupes" cliff stands as the solar system's tallest, rising between 10-20 km. The surface's patchwork is attributed to past geological activity, potentially resulting from icy collisions that created a unique internal structure and subsequent geological processes.
Exploring the Unique Hodgepodge Surface of Miranda, Uranus' Intriguing Moon
E N D
Presentation Transcript
Hodge-podge in Miranda Profesor: Jose A. Caballero Víctor Pereira Blanco
Index • General properties and description • Miranda´s surface: hodge-podge • Theories
Miranda´ssurface:hodge-podge Theories General properties and description Miranda: Uranus V Discoveredby Gerard Kuiper in 1948 Voyager 2 in 1986
Miranda´ssurface:hodge-podge Theories General properties and description Craters, coronae, ridges, grooves, cliffs…. • A patchwork of regions Voyager 2 image of Miranda taken shortly before closest approach. January 24, 1986. Range, 21,000 miles.
Miranda´ssurface:hodge-podge Theories General properties and description This cliff is called "Verona Rupees" and is the deepest of any known cliff in the solar system, between 10-20 KM high! January 24, 1986. Range, 22,000 miles. Photo Credit NASA.
Miranda´ssurface:hodge-podge Theories General properties and description Along the edge of Miranda's face, a wide band of ridges and grooves cut across the surface like a racetrack January 24, 1986. Photo Credit NASA
Miranda´ssurface:hodge-podge Theories General properties and description Chevron A series of lighter and darkercoloursarranged in a V shape January 24, 1986. Photo Credit NASA
Miranda´ssurface:hodge-podge Theories General properties and description • It was predicted that Miranda would be too small to show any signs of geological activity... • A collision broke it into icy and rocky pieces that then fell back together: denser rocky to the centre and ice remain in the surface. This friction would have warm the icy interior an created currents like a boiling soup. Currents would have compressed the crust.
Miranda´ssurface:hodge-podge Theories General properties and description • Diapirs: something rising up from below, in this case, warm ice. a type of intrusion in which a more mobile and ductily-deformable material is forced into brittle overlying rocks Destruction and re-assembly no longer necessary Heat needed for explaining the shape of the surface: resonance in the past. And then...nothing. Work unfinished.
References: NASA´s Solar SystemExplorationsite. Views of the Solar System: Mirnda, a Moon of Uranus. Surface of Miranda: Identification of WaterIceHamilton Brown, R., Clark, R.N 1984Icar...58..288B Crateringhistory of Miranda: Implicationsforgeologicprocesses. Plescia, J.B. 1988Icar...73..442P Fin Thank you for your attention