Titan's topography, strange.... |
Titan's topography, strange.... |
Apr 12 2009, 12:44 PM
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#1
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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, 06:06 PM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
Mike I'm having trouble reconciling what you describe with the recently published wind vector map where the arrows seem mostly more or less aligned E-W with the dune crests. It is agreed that there is 180 degree ambiguity in the inferred wind direction at any one locality. It has also been suggested that the wind directions could reverse with the tidal cycle. If that's so then presumably material is transported both ways alternately along any particular section of dune. Even a slight preponderence of one direction over the other would be enough to produce the teardrop shapes we see around 'islands', but following the direction inferred at one point could lead you to a place where the preponderance, and therefore the net transport, is the opposite way. There need be no discontinuity in the dune pattern between the two locations, which might be at opposite sides of a sand sea.
I'm sure I'm oversimplifying . . |
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