TAMPA: Pluto is covered with surprising dunes made of methane ice, which have formed relatively recently despite the frigid dwarf planet’s very thin atmosphere, international researchers said on Thursday (Friday in Manila). “The likely source of the dune grains is methane ice blown from nearby mountains,” said the Science report. “The considerably lower gravity of Pluto, and the extremely low atmospheric pressure, means the winds needed to maintain sediment transport can be a hundred times lower,” he said. On Pluto, solar radiation also causes temperature gradients in the granular ice layer, which contributes to the ability of dunes to form. “Together, we have found that these combined processes can form dunes under normal, everyday wind conditions on Pluto,” Parteli said.

Source: Manila Times June 01, 2018 12:16 UTC