Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2005
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005agufm.p44a..07m&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2005, abstract #P44A-07
Physics
5422 Ices, 5430 Interiors (8147), 5480 Volcanism (6063, 8148, 8450), 6280 Saturnian Satellites, 6281 Titan
Scientific paper
The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper observed several large features interpreted as cryovolcanic during the October 26, 2004, pass at high northern latitudes. These included a dome (~180 km in diameter) similar to Venusian "pancake" domes, two caldera-like features with associated flows tens of km long, and a large flow field ~24,000 km2 in area. No impact craters were seen on this region of Titan, implying a young surface. Circumstantial evidence from mass spectrometric measurements indicates the past and possibly present-day existence of ammonia within Titan. We show that ammonia-water mixtures can erupt from a subsurface ocean on Titan through the ice shell, leading to cryovolcanism. Cryovolcanic processes are related to bottom crevasse formation in an ice shell floating on an ammonia-water ocean, transport of ammonia-water pockets to the base of the stagnant lid by convective motions in the ice, refreezing of chambers of ammonia-water, and diurnal tidal pumping of ammonia-water liquid to the surface. We determine the tidal dissipation rates of mechanical energy in the bottom crevasses required to damp the orbital eccentricity of Titan and we estimate the maximum number of fractures in the ice shell. Rather than suggesting steady-state volcanism over the history of the solar system, the cryovolcanic features could have been associated with a late (~4.2 Gyr) onset of convection in a cooling shell, and hence a recent episode of methane outgassing.
Lopes Ricardo
Lunine Jonathan I.
Mitri Giuseppe
Showman Adam P.
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