Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Sep 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008dps....40.3402m&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #40, #34.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.456
Mathematics
Logic
Scientific paper
The Cassini Radar instrument has observed mountainous topography on Saturn's moon Titan both as isolated blocks and chains. Here we report on the geological interpretation of mountain chains discovered during the T8 (October 2005) and T43 Cassini flybys (May 2008). The area imaged during the T43 flyby shows parallel mountain chains with adjacent plains regions. We interpret mountains on this area as hinge lines of long-wavelength cylindrical lithospheric folds resulting from lithospheric shortening due to north-south compression. The plains in this area are likely sedimentary accumulation regions of organic materials. Using the radarclinometric technique we found that the maximum topographic height of mountains relative to surrounding plains is 2 km.
We simulate the two-dimensional compressional crustal deformation of Titan's ice-I shell using the Tekton finite-element code. The model considers elastic-viscous-plastic and composite rheologies of the water ice. We demonstrate that compressional crustal deformation of the ice-I shell of Titan can produce topographic height of several kilometers for high temperature gradients in the ice-I shell (order of 10 K km-1), corresponding to an ancient high heat flux from the interior. We find that the mountains experience moderate viscous relaxation over 108 - 109 yr. We also demonstrate that folding can occur as consequence of global radial contraction during the partial freezing of a subsurface ocean and lithospheric shortening. Consistent with this scenario, Cassini Radar's determination of Titan's spin rate offset from synchronous rotation suggests that the ice-I shell is decoupled from the interior by a subsurface ocean. Extensional tectonism is observed on almost all icy moons of the outer solar system, but we have little evidence of compressional tectonism on icy satellites. If in fact these features are due to compressional tectonism, then Titan is the only icy moon on which compression features prominently in the style of tectonism.
Bland Michael T.
Cassini RADAR Team
Lopes Rosaly M. C.
Lunine Jonathan I.
Mitri Giuseppe
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