Exploration of our Solar System over the past decades has revealed the pervasive importance of a myriad of geophysical processes on the icy bodies beyond the asteroid belt. Understanding the relative importance of large impacts, orbital dynamics, and internal processes for tectonics and other surface modifications is key to untangling the evolution of these objects where water ice is a major, and in many cases dominant, constituent. Besides revealing evidence of these processes, spacecraft data have enabled the rigorous modeling of these icy bodies’ internal structures, convection in their icy mantles, viscous relaxation of impact crater topography, water-rich volcanism, and cratering mechanics into ice by providing critical topographic and morphological constraints. These discoveries have also provided evidence for surface processes distinctive to the low-gravity, icy bodies in the outer Solar System. To celebrate and further understand these discoveries, this session will explore the origin, structure, evolution, and bombardment history of outer planet satellites and Pluto.

The due date for GSA abstracts is July 29. The G.K. Gilbert session will be held at the GSA Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Oct 21, in Vancouver, BC.

http://community.geosociety.org/gsa2014/home/

The session is in honor of Prof. William McKinnon, the 2014 G.K. Gilbert awardee.

[Edited for length.]