MID/QC Cosmology Series 4: A MID/QC Interpretation of Pluto's Geothermal Anomalies and Cryovolcanic Activity

Pluto exhibits active geology, convection, cryovolcanism, and possible subsurface ocean retention despite its small size, low radiogenic inventory, and extreme distance from the Sun. Classical models attribute Pluto’s internal heat to radiogenic decay and ancient tidal heating from early orbital evolution with Charon, but these mechanisms cannot fully account for present‑day activity observed by New Horizons. This paper applies the MID/QC framework to reinterpret Pluto’s thermal and geological anomalies as expressions of coherence‑well stabilization, substrate‑level heat retention, and boundary‑mode dynamics within the Pluto–Charon binary. The result is a unified explanation for Pluto’s unexpectedly warm interior, active resurfacing, and cryovolcanic signatures without requiring ongoing tidal forcing or exotic heat sources.