Access

News and Views

Nature 447, 276-277 (17 May 2007) | doi:10.1038/447276a; Published online 16 May 2007

There is a Correction (14 June 2007) associated with this document.

Open Innovation Challenges

naturejobs

Planetary science: Cracks under stress

Andrew J. Dombard1

Top

Two modelling studies provide complementary descriptions of how gravitational forces might help to form the plumes of water vapour that spout from cracks in Enceladus, one of Saturn's icy moons.

Enceladus, an icy satellite of Saturn only about 500 kilometres in diameter, is a remarkably active body1, 2, 3. NASA's Saturn orbiter, Cassini, observed plumes composed mostly of water, presumed to be spouting from a set of nearly parallel cracks, nicknamed the 'tiger stripes'.

  1. Andrew J. Dombard is in the Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723-6099, USA.
    Email: andrew.dombard@jhuapl.edu

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

Planetary science Enceladus with a grain of salt

Nature News and Views (25 Jun 2009)

Planetary science Jets of mystery

Nature Geoscience News and Views (01 Dec 2008)

See all 13 matches for News And Views