Leviathan Patera is a major cryovolcanic

caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcanic eruption. An eruption that ejects large volumes of magma over a short period of time can cause significant detriment to the str ...

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...

's largest moon Triton. Discovered by the ''

Voyager 2 ''Voyager 2'' is a space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, as a part of the Voyager program. It was launched on a trajectory towards the gas giants (Jupiter and Saturn) and enabled further encounters with the ice giants (Uranus and ...

'' spacecraft in 1989, Leviathan Patera is located in Monad Regio and within Cipango Planum's western regions. Leviathan Patera is approximately in diameter and may be the center of one of the largest cryovolcanic or volcanic edifices in the

Solar System The Solar SystemCapitalization of the name varies. The International Astronomical Union, the authoritative body regarding astronomical nomenclature, specifies capitalizing the names of all individual astronomical objects but uses mixed "Sola ...

Discovery and naming

Leviathan Patera, first viewed by the ''

'' spacecraft on its flyby of the

system on 25 August 1989, is named after the

biblical Hebrew Biblical Hebrew ( or ), also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language, a language in the Canaanite languages, Canaanitic branch of the Semitic languages spoken by the Israelites in the area known as the Land of Isra ...

sea serpent, the

Leviathan Leviathan ( ; ; ) is a sea serpent demon noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the pseudepigraphical Book of Enoch. Leviathan is of ...

. The name was officially approved by the

International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; , UAI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and developmen ...

(IAU) in 1991.

Geology

Leviathan Patera is a large, steep-sided depression with a number of arcuate scarps; its general structure strongly resembles that of terrestrial collapse calderas on

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

. The northern half of Leviathan Patera's floor is ~ deep and largely flat, though an irregular plateau interrupts the flat floor. In contrast, the southern half of Leviathan Patera is occupied by a broad dome ~ high, nearly level with the surrounding plains. The northwestern section of Leviathan Patera is host to a high point approximately in height, one of the highest points in the local region. Leviathan Patera is surrounded by a ring of very smooth terrain that is etched by arcuate alcoves that all face outward from the caldera center. Leviathan Patera sits near two major tectonic features,

Kraken Catena Kraken Catena is a crater chain, pit chain (''catena'') and likely Fault (geology), tectonic fault on Triton (moon), Triton, the largest natural satellite of Neptune. It, along with Set Catena, is located near and is aligned approximately radiall ...

and

Set Catena Set Catena is a pit chain (''catena'') and likely tectonic fault located on Triton, the largest natural satellite of Neptune. It, along with Kraken Catena, is located near Leviathan Patera, a major cryovolcanic feature; as such, Set Catena ...

, likely indicating that Leviathan Patera's formation and activity is closely linked to rifting at its site. Leviathan Patera appears to be the central vent of a massive, geologically young plateau of cryovolcanic material, Cipango Planum. Eruptions of volatile material termed '' cryolava'' from Leviathan Patera constructed much of Cipango Planum's edifice and the smooth terrain immediately surrounding Leviathan Patera. Assuming Cipango Planum is a part of Leviathan Patera's cryovolcanic edifice, Leviathan Patera is the largest known cryovolcano on Triton and one of the largest volcanic features in the Solar System. The eruptive history of Leviathan Patera may have occurred in several stages, first erupting low-viscosity cryolava which resurfaced the surrounding plains (possibly accounting for Cipango Planum's very shallow relief), eventually transitioning to explosive eruptions before finally transitioning to erupting higher-viscosity material constructing domes within the caldera. Comparatively little collapse appears to have occurred within the center of Leviathan Patera, and apparent explosion pits surround a ring fracture.

Notes

References

{{Triton Surface features of Neptune's moons Triton (moon)

Discovery and naming

Geology

See also

Notes

References