New Horizons detects evidence of liquid nitrogen flow on Pluto

Scientists have identified the first evidence that liquid may have moved across Pluto’s surface in the recent past. Dark markings observed on the vast Sputnik Planitia glacier are consistent with flows of liquid nitrogen rising through fissures from deep beneath the icy plain, suggesting a previously unknown form of activity on the dwarf planet.

Computer simulations indicate that nitrogen ice at the base of the glacier can melt under geothermal heat and ascend through narrow conduits, creating the observed dark features. The results imply that Pluto’s interior remains warm enough to drive such processes, challenging the view of the world as a static, frozen body and highlighting its potential for ongoing geological dynamism.