Cassini observes the active south pole of Enceladus.
Cassini has identified a geologically active province at the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus. In images acquired by the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS), this region is circumscribed by a chain of folded ridges and troughs at approximately 55 degrees S latitude. The terrain southward of this boundary is distinguished by its albedo and color contrasts, elevated temperatures, extreme geologic youth, and narrow tectonic rifts that exhibit coarse-grained ice and coincide with the hottest temperatures measured in the region. Jets of fine icy particles that supply Saturn's E ring emanate from this province, carried aloft by water vapor probably venting from subsurface reservoirs of liquid water. The shape of Enceladus suggests a possible intense heating epoch in the past by capture into a 1:4 secondary spin/orbit resonance.
Porco
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Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations, Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301, USA. carolyn@ciclops.org
Helfenstein
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Thomas
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Ingersoll
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AP
Wisdom
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West
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Neukum
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Denk
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T
Wagner
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Roatsch
T
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Kieffer
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Turtle
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E
McEwen
A
A
Johnson
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TV
Rathbun
J
J
Veverka
J
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Wilson
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Perry
J
J
Spitale
J
J
Brahic
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Burns
J A
JA
Delgenio
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Dones
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Murray
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Squyres
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D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment / Q000737:chemistry; D018539:Saturn; D018531:Spacecraft; D013057:Spectrum Analysis