Lakes in the limelight, the 2013 image bonanza continues |
Lakes in the limelight, the 2013 image bonanza continues |
Sep 13 2013, 02:20 PM
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#31
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
A fantastic collection of new images of the northern lakes has just arrived: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/raw/rawi...?imageID=298704
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Nov 23 2014, 04:59 PM
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#32
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
Once again, Titan has the potential to be even more complicated than the simple Earth story. One of the fun possible "twists" in the story on Titan compared to Earth is that fluids percolating through the subsurface of Titan can exchange with clathrates. That would depend on the exact structure of the clathrates (structure I or structure II) and the kinetic rate of exchange (flow rate, contact time, initial mix, etc.) with the clathrates in the subsurface. So the hydrocarbon and nitrogen fluid mix going into the subsurface can be different than the fluid mix coming out. Think of it as having an ethane or methane sponge that sucks up one or two of the hydrocarbons.
Check out: Mousis et al., 2014: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1405.6588.pdf Bottom line (!) is that you could have a propane-rich subsurface spring popping up under the surface of one of the lakes. But that would all depend on the kinetic rates, structures of the subsurface and the starting mix of the fluids. So it has the potential to be a very, very complex system. As always, more laboratory work is needed. And as Ralph likes to point out during his presentations, most of the calculations are done assuming everything is at equilibrium. As we know from our terrestrial experiences, very few of us are ever at equilibrium. Last time I checked, my relative humidity was a loooooong ways away from 100% saturation (the equilibrium state). Using equilibrium calculatoins for Titan is a good start to see the idealized case, but the reality on (and under) the ground will be even more complicated. -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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