Researchers reported the discovery of six large landslides on Pluto in the journal Icarus on June 13. Images taken by the New Horizons spacecraft reveal the landslides on Pluto.

The six identified landslides are located near a wide, flat plain known as Sputnik Planitia. Each of the six landslides is located along the inner rim of an impact crater. The largest landslide is roughly 130 square kilometers in area, and the landslides range in height from 1,500 to 2,200 meters.

Researchers identified landslides by looking for characteristic signs such as steep cliffs and portions of the landscape that differed in tone and texture from their surroundings. Landslides on Pluto tend to run out over longer distances compared with landslides of similar heights elsewhere in the solar system. The team concluded that material tumbling down a slope on Pluto experiences less friction, on average, than similar material elsewhere.

The New Horizons spacecraft flew by Pluto and its moons in 2015. Pluto's largest moon, Charon, shows evidence of landslides. Maria Teresa Brunetti, a physicist who studies landslides at the National Research Council in Perugia, Italy, stated, "Landslides play an important role in shaping landforms."

Why It Matters

The discovery provides insight into the geological processes shaping this dwarf planet. The observation that these landslides travel longer distances due to lower friction suggests unique surface characteristics on Pluto compared to other bodies within the solar system. This research contributes to the understanding of planetary landform evolution by analyzing data from the New Horizons mission.