Planetary caves from Mercury to Pluto?
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Abstract
On Earth, caves are unique environments at the intersection of geology, climate, and biology. Given that the same terrestrial speleogenetic processes exist throughout the solar system, it would be surprising if caves beyond Earth did not exist. Thousands of potential cave entrances (or subsurface access points) have been identified from Earth’s Moon to Pluto’s moon, Charon. To date, our most comprehensive knowledge of these potential subsurface access points is for the Moon, Mars, and Titan, which collectively contain more than 20 thousand features. Missions are either ongoing or planned for these three planetary bodies. One of these missions may ultimately detect a cave and potentially confirm it contains a laterally trending passage.
Suggested Citation
Titus, T.N., Wynne, J., Malaska, M.J., and Boston, P.J., 2024, Planetary caves from Mercury to Pluto?, in USGS Karst Interest Group Workshop, Nashville, Tennessee, October 22-24, 2024, p. 88-97, https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20241067.
| Publication type | Conference Paper |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Conference Paper |
| Title | Planetary caves from Mercury to Pluto? |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr20241067 |
| Year Published | 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Contributing office(s) | Astrogeology Science Center |
| Description | 10 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Report |
| Larger Work Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Larger Work Title | USGS Karst Interest Group Workshop |
| First page | 88 |
| Last page | 97 |
| Conference Title | U.S. Geological Survey Karst Interest Group Proceedings |
| Conference Location | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Conference Date | October 22-24, 2024 |