Ahuna Mons on Ceres Formed by Frozen Salty Brine, Not Lava

Ahuna Mons, a solitary mountain on the dwarf planet Ceres, rises four kilometers above a flat, cratered plain. Unlike typical volcanic mountains formed by lava, Ahuna Mons was created by erupting salty brine that froze solid. Data from Dawn spacecraft, including images, gravity measurements, and mineral maps, indicate it is a young cryovolcanic dome made of a viscous mixture of brine, salts, ice, and solid particles.

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