Location | Charon |
---|---|
Discoverer | New Horizons |
Eponym | Land of Oz |
Oz Terra is the unofficial name given to a major geological region on Charon. The Pluto-facing hemisphere of Charon is divided onto two primary regions; Oz Terra in the north and Vulcan Planum in the south. These regions are separated by a series of scarps near Charon's equator.[1] The region was discovered by New Horizons during its flyby of Pluto in July 2015.
Oz Terra sits about a kilometer higher than Vulcan Planum, and is typified by large crustal blocks, having fractured early in Charon's history.[2] The region was formed about 4 billion years ago, when a subsurface ocean of water and ammonia flowed to the surface, and then solidified.[3]