Tectonic activity triggered by the gravitational influence of the gas giants causes landslides of icy debris.
. While scientists have speculated that these features are the work of liquid flowing from icy volcanoes, quite how the process works at low temperatures on these frigid moons that are inhospitable to liquids, has been a puzzle.
The explanation put forward in this new research doesn't require the presence of liquid on the surface of these icy moons, however. The team came to the surprising conclusion when they set about measuring the dimensions of these ridges, thought to be steep slopes caused by the surface breaking along a fault line with one side dropping in what scientists call"tectonic fault scarps." They then applied the measurements to seismic models which allowed them to estimate the power of moonquakes in the history of these moons.
This revealed that some of these seismic events would have been strong enough to hoist up debris that then rolls downhill, spreading out as it does so and smoothing out the landscape of the moons. "We found the surface shaking from moonquakes would be enough to cause surface material to rush downhill in landslides.
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