Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufm.p11a..01l&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #P11A-01
Mathematics
Logic
1825 Geomorphology: Fluvial (1625), 1856 River Channels (0483, 0744), 5464 Remote Sensing, 6281 Titan
Scientific paper
Cassini RADAR has observed several different styles of fluvial channel on the surface of Titan. These show that hydrological activity modifies Titan's surface both at larger scales than, and in many places beyond, the small-scale channels observed by the Huygens probe. In some cases (T3) the channels have no incision detectable with the (modest 300m) resolution of the radar and have a braided and anabranching appearance, characteristic of washes in the desert southwest USA generated by violent downpours - calculations of the appropriate transport thresholds and network characteristic show that the liquid methane flowrates implied in the rivers are consistent with models of rainstorms on Titan, in turn suggesting remarkable storms with several tens of cm of rainfall, perhaps a century's worth, in only a couple of hours. Elsewhere (T7) radarclinometry shows appreciable incision, suggesting rain is recurrent in some midlatitude areas. The longest channel network observed (T13) so far is that at the Western part of Xanadu, paradoxically at a latitude where large areas (the Belet Sand Sea among others) exist where no other large channel is visible. This suggests that Xanadu's rugged topography (also evident in the radar images) may influence precipitation patterns, for which latitude is already an established factor. These observations highlight Titan as a laboratory for hydrological and meteorological processes like those on Earth. Radar mapping is proving key to elucidate a picture of how Titan works as an active planet - the geological record of precipitation patterns records the integral of fluvial modification, which may in turn be too sporadic to reliably record. The results underscore the need to maximize return from the Cassini Extended Mission, and for future in-situ survey of Titan by a balloon or similar mission.
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