Titan's topography, strange.... |
Titan's topography, strange.... |
Apr 12 2009, 12:44 PM
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
Recent article in Science by Zebker et al.:
Zebker et al. Science in press, "Size and Shape of Saturn's Moon Titan". doi: 10.1126/science.1168905 (published online April 2, 2009) Link to abstract (pay-for article): http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1168905 Article on spaceref discusses this paper: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=27912 Figure 3 from the Science article is a global elevation map relative to barycenter. Key points of article:
"Xanadu seems to be systematically lower than other parts of the equatorial belt, and not uplifted like most mountainous areas on Earth." (quote from Fig. 3 caption in article) -Mike -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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Apr 12 2009, 03:46 PM
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
The Science article is in reference to the Barycentric center of Titan.
This could be different from the equipotential surface. If I understand this correctly.... In a perfect world, with a uniform density gradient, the elevation and equipotential surfaces pretty much match: A large mass concentration (high density crustal materials) can cause a localized gravity well, and cause the equipotential surface to bulge out. (More mass, more gravity, more "pull"). So you can get an elevated ocean that covers a elevated (based on barycenter distance) rise. A mass deficit (lower density crustal materials) can cause a localized gravity deficit and cause the equipotential surface to dip in. (less mass, less gravity, less "pull"). This could cause a basin that one would think should be flooded, to be dry. The water table responds to the equipotential surface, not the elevation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoid -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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