--- title: "Unexpected “Geological Activity” on Dwarf Planet Ceres Shocks Scientists" description: "Geoscientists may have figured out why dwarf planet Ceres, the largest body in the Milky Way's asteroid belt, shows signs of past seismic activity." date: "2022-08-05" modified: "2022-08-05" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/why-dwarf-planet-ceres-unexpected-geologic-activity" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "Ceres" - "dwarf planets" - "radioactivity" - "the digest" --- # Unexpected “Geological Activity” on Dwarf Planet Ceres Shocks Scientists ![Geoscientists may have figured out why dwarf planet Ceres, the largest body in the Milky Way's asteroid belt, shows signs of ocean and seismic activity.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Surprise! Geoscientists at Virginia Tech may have figured out why Ceres — a dwarf planet and the largest celestial body in the solar system's asteroid belt — was found to show "unexpected geological activity," according to a [recent press release](). In fact, their findings, as detailed in a [paper]() published in the journal *AGU Advances* earlier this year, might just change the way that we think about dwarf planets altogether. ## Hot Potato Scientists have known of Ceres' existence for quite a while, though it wasn't until 2015 that [NASA's Dawn probe]() gave researchers a closer look at the rocky body. To their surprise, scientists discovered Ceres to have interesting geological features such as plateaus, mineral deposits, and surface fractures — all signs that Ceres once supported seismic activity and even an ocean. To confirm that theory, however, the dwarf would have needed a way to generate heat at some point in its history — something scientists believe smaller planetary bodies to be incapable of. ## Radioactive Mostly [due to the violent way they form](), larger planets like our own start out as hot, triggering [powering geological activity](), and cool down over time. Ceres, on the other hand, was never big enough to be a true planet, and thus couldn't have generated heat during formation. But according to the scientists' computer modeling of Ceres' distant past, the dwarf planet didn't have to start hot in order to generate heat. Rather, they believe that the dwarf, which scientists believe contain radioactive elements uranium and thorium, actually became heated due to interior radioactive decay — which, fascinatingly, took the body from cold, to hot, to cold once again, as opposed to the hot-to-cold pattern traditionally seen in larger planets. "What we've shown in this paper is that radiogenic heating all on its own is enough to create interesting geology," Scott King, a Virginia Tech professor of geosciences, said in the press release. Hopefully, this model will be able to provide some insight into how other dwarf planets, and even some moons, came to be. In any case, it serves as a fascinating reminder of how little we really know about how our Cosmos formed — and [how much there's left to discover](). **More on space exploration:** *[Astronomers Just Watched a Neutron Star Hulk Smash Another Star]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()