Scientists have unlocked the secret of planetary surface fractures

A new international study has revealed how the cracked, web-like patterns seen on the surfaces of planets form — and what they can tell us about the planetary environments where they appear.

From the parched soils of Earth to the ice-covered crusts of distant moons, thin fractured layers often blanket planetary surfaces. These crack patterns aren’t random; their geometry holds vital clues about the conditions under which they were created. Now, researchers from the HUN-REN-BME Morphodynamics Research Group and the University of Pennsylvania have developed a mathematical model capable of reconstructing the formation history of these networks from a single photograph.

Published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study introduces a novel approach for analyzing planetary surface crack patterns — a technique never before applied to extraterrestrial geology.

At the heart of this breakthrough is a model that uses one of the most fundamental features visible in a crack network: the geometry of its junction points. By analyzing these, the researchers could classify the patterns into three main types, each linked to distinct planetary processes:

• Hierarchical Crack Patterns dominated by T-junctions: These occur when cracks form sequentially, with new fractures branching from existing ones. Earth’s drying mudflats and the fractured surface of Venus are prime examples.

• Cyclic Expansion and Contraction Patterns characterized by Y-junctions: These emerge when a surface undergoes repeated volumetric changes, often due to the presence of water. Some regions of Mars show these patterns, suggesting historical water activity.

• Ice-Influenced Crack Patterns marked by X-junctions: Common on icy worlds like Jupiter’s moon Europa, these occur when new fractures intersect older, healed cracks in refrozen ice — a dynamic process that hints at active subsurface oceans.

According to the Hungarian and American research team, analyzing crack geometry could help pinpoint areas where water once existed or may still persist. On Mars, hexagonal crack networks indicate past regular water activity, while Europa’s intersecting fractures support the theory of a liquid ocean beneath its icy crust — a potential habitat for life.

The newly developed model paves the way for using image analysis techniques to systematically map crack networks across planetary surfaces. With this, vast datasets from satellite imagery could be processed rapidly, turning complex surface morphologies into geologically meaningful insights.

“This type of pattern analysis could become a powerful tool in identifying extraterrestrial locations where water played a crucial role in shaping the surface — and possibly where life-supporting conditions once existed,” said Gábor Domokos, leader of the Hungarian research team. Co-author Krisztina Regős added that the next step would be integrating AI-driven image analysis systems to automate and refine the detection of these crack networks in planetary images.

The study’s results promise to enhance planetary exploration by offering a fresh, data-driven lens for reading the geological history of worlds beyond Earth.