Feature type

Ice Plain & Glacier

A broad plain or flowing sheet of ice. On Pluto, the nitrogen-ice glaciers of Sputnik Planitia churn and flow; on Mars and the icy moons, water ice shapes the surface.

In brief

A broad plain or flowing sheet of ice.

Examples of this feature

Sputnik PlanitiaSurface feature
Pluto · ≈ 1,000 km across
The vast nitrogen-ice plain that forms the western lobe of Pluto's bright 'heart'. Its ice slowly churns in convection cells and flows like a glacier, keeping the surface young.

Knowledge connections

Group includesSputnik Planitia

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.

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