The proposed interior structure of Pluto. A thin clathrate (gas) hydrate layer works as a thermal insulator between the subsurface ocean and the ice shell, keeping the ocean from freezing. (Kamata S. et al., Pluto’s ocean is capped and insulated by gas hydrates. Nature Geosciences, May 20, 2019)
A gassy insulating layer beneath the icy surfaces of distant celestial objects could mean there are more oceans in the universe than previously thought. Computer simulations provide compelling evidence that an insulating layer of gas hydrates could keep a subsurface ocean from freezing beneath Pluto’s icy exterior, according to a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
In July 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft flew through Pluto’s system, providing the first-ever close-up im...
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