Correlations between VIMS and RADAR data over the surface of Titan: Implications for Titan's surface properties

Details Correlations between VIMS and RADAR data over the surface of Titan: Implications for Titan's surface properties Correlations between VIMS and RADAR data over the surface of Titan: Implications for Titan's surface properties

Dec 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufm.p23a1610t&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #P23A-1610

Physics

[5470] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Surface Materials And Properties, [6281] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Titan, [6297] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Instruments And Techniques

Scientific paper

We present new results combining the VIMS and RADAR medium resolution data on Titan’s surface. In RADAR data we consider two geophysical quantities: the normalized backscatter cross-section obtained from the scatterometer measurement, corrected for the incidence angle, and the calibrated antenna temperature determined from the radiometer measurement, as found in publicly available data products. In VIMS data, combining spatial and spectral information, we have selected some atmospheric windows in the spectral range between 2 and 5 μm, providing the best optical depth to measure surface reflectance. The two RADAR parameters are combined with VIMS data, with estimated errors, to produce an aggregate data set, that we process using multivariate classification methods to identify homogeneous taxonomic units in the multivariate space of the samples. Such units in fact reveal compositional trends in the surface, that are likely related to different abundances of simple ices and/or hydrocarbons. Our analysis relies on the G-mode method, which has been successfully used in the past for the classification of such diverse data sets as lunar rock samples, asteroids and planetary surfaces. Due to the large number of data of Titan, the classification work proceeds in several steps. In a previous work (Tosi et al., 2010), we analyzed the data acquired in Titan flybys: T3, T4, T8, T13 and T16, covering mostly the major bright and dark features seen around the equator, combined with VIMS infrared data, in order to validate the classification method. Now we focus on flybys: T23, T25, T28, T30, and T43, covering also regions of Titan located at higher latitudes, and partly including the polar regions. The obtained results are generally in agreement with previous work devoted both to the analysis of the scatterometry data through physical models and to the correlation between SAR and radiometry data at a high resolution scale. This classification can be expanded and refined as new data from the two instruments are released, adding new insights to the overall exploration of Titan that continues with the Cassini mission. This work is supported by an Italian Space Agency (ASI) grant.

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