T28 (April 10th 2007) Options

[ngunn]

This seems more consistent with a caldera and less consistent with an impact crater.

Could be an impact crater filled up almost to the brim with organic deposits from the atmosphere. Until the infill reached the height of the lowest point on the rim there would be no surface drainage out and hence limited erosion of the infill, leaving it higher than the surrounding areas outside the crater. I'm not saying this is any more likely than a caldera, just not excluded.

[Juramike]

Could be. But then the question is, if that much organic matter is landing on a given spot on Titan, where did the material outside the rim get transported (eroded) away to?

Are the lowland lakes so much deeper that they could have absorbed X amount of organics?

Is there a thicker layer of (compacted?) organic deposits at the bottom of the polar lowlands when compared to relatively higher polar areas?

[The karst-like lakes might've dissolved through this layer?]

-Mike

[ngunn]

Sure, every scenario begs more questions. As usual it all comes down to the relative rates of different processes. One or more of those processes must be keeping the lake basins deepening as fast as they're being filled in. I've suggested downwarping for the big ones and sapping for the karst/caldera areas. Different areas may also have different porosities and different solubilities. The surface processes may only be the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, with most of the alkane hydrology going on below ground. Subsurface voids (formed in unstable clathrate material?) could also act as repositories for erosion products. I don't know how you even start constraining a system like this without some way of dating things. What fun.

(By the way one publisher's website is saying only 2 days to go till 'TITAN UNVEILED' comes out. We may have to wait a bit longer, though, for "Titan Decoded"!)

[volcanopele]

Unfortunately, this SAR swath (along with T30) has yet to hit the PDS, but the rest of the RADAR data has (or at least non-Titan data). Ralph, if you are reading this, any eta on when those two SAR swaths will be in the PDS? I presume the issue is the pole position change?

[rlorenz]

Unfortunately, this SAR swath (along with T30) has yet to hit the PDS, but the rest of the RADAR data has (or at least non-Titan data). Ralph, if you are reading this, any eta on when those two SAR swaths will be in the PDS? I presume the issue is the pole position change?

I'm not directly involved in archiving. No scheduled releases are being delayed as far as I
know due to the rotation state issue - this will lead to a reprocessing of the data and
subsequent re-release.

[rlorenz]

Unfortunately, this SAR swath (along with T30) has yet to hit the PDS, but the rest of the RADAR data has (or at least non-Titan data). Ralph, if you are reading this, any eta on when those two SAR swaths will be in the PDS? I presume the issue is the pole position change?

Sorry, asked about this yesterday - turns out those ARE being reprocessed. (Because they hadnt been
released already, these flybys are first in the queue for 're'processing). Should only by a few days.