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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Oct 5 2009, 12:14 AM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
Elevation shows the spooky dude formation is elevated a few hundred meters above the dark deposit.
If it was deposited by catastrophic liquid/mudflow, the stuff couldn't pile up higher than the liquid surface (*I think*). So if the whole shebang was deposited by an E-running liquid flow, it would imply a really, really big catastrophic flow. (Huygens Island is about the same elevation, what would constrain it through this channel at that elevation?) (Glacial moraine deposit is still possible - with the lobes being kettle holes). I think a possible scenario is that the formation was original bedrock, with cavities in the mass. Then a large catastrophic flow came from the E (going W, upgradient) and caused the tapering point towards the E. (An impact driven tsunami's could easily get that high with Titan's low gravity.) As the wave hit, it shaped the formation, and removed much of the loosely consolidated stuff covering the oval cavities on the backside of the formation. (The cavities were that shape pre-tsunami). But I still have just no clue... -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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Oct 5 2009, 06:12 AM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
Elevation shows the spooky dude formation is elevated a few hundred meters above the dark deposit. If it was deposited by catastrophic liquid/mudflow, the stuff couldn't pile up higher than the liquid surface (*I think*). I think most of it is lower than that - more like tens of metres. As far as I know we don't have elevations for the features nearest the probe, but if they were hundreds of metres high we'd see that in the surface view. Also the banks could pile up higher than the liquid if some of the bank materials were buoyant, something that I have long suspected for a variety of reasons. But I have to admit that, like you, I just don't know. |
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