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 15 2009, 03:18 PM
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
The low-latitude longitudinal contrasts (viz, low Xanadu vs the dunes) is harder to explain, as is the orientation of the dunes themselves. I sometimes wonder about albedo-driven wind (i.e. sea-breeze type circulations - with effectively katabatic flow away from high albedo regions). Here is a detail of the dune pattern near the E Shangri-La/W Xanadu boundary using Amazing Dune-O-Vision (gamma-modified, contrast enhanced, negative image) for a portion of the T13 Swath. I highlighted the dune pattern orientation in some areas using yellow lines. There seems to be a sudden turn southward near Xanadu as the dunes smack into Xanadu. For a sea-breeze circulation, I would have thought that the off-Xanadu circulation would make the dune pattern "confused" or dissappear in a marginal zone around Xanadu. Instead, while the dune orientation changes, it remains very clear right up until hitting Xanadu. (Also indicating that the Xanadu margin is not much of a topographical barrier) And the dune sand migration seems to bend to the S when it starts to go across Xanadu. Is this vector change sufficient to divert sand flow around the depression instead of into it? Where does the sand eventually end up? -Mike -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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