[X] My Assistant

[Palomar]

Best evidence yet

*...for a shoreline on Titan; they're calling it "dramatic." Area measures 1,060 by 106 miles. Is from Cassini radar, obtained during the latest flyby. Speculation continues regarding seepage of liquid from the ground/ground springs and/or rainfall.

[exoplanet]

Has anyone put forward a theory that some sort of chemical interaction may be taking place when liquid methane on the surface of Titan comes into contact with the complex hydrocarbons raining down from the atmosphere. Perhaps there is some sort of organic opaque film forming on top of liquid methane and this may be the reason Cassini cannot see the specular glints from the oceans and lakes.

I posted this idea because I really am having a hard time grasping that the dark deposits are dried up mud flats from particulates being washed from the high surface into the low areas. If this would be the case - the dark particulates would be seen only in the dried up playas and intermittently filled streambeds. These dark particulates are also seen in the short channels that are most likely caused by powerful springs that are presumably still active. These channels should be light colored at the bottom and not dark due to the constant running of the methane springs.

Also, The ice pebbles surrounding the lander were very rounded, light colored and clean (without a crust of dark hydrocarbon mud) which leads me to believe that they have been eroded by liquid (wave or streambed action) very recently.

[The Messenger]

...
I posted this idea because I really am having a hard time grasping that the dark deposits are dried up mud flats from particulates being washed from the high surface into the low areas.  If this would be the case - the dark particulates would be seen only in the dried up playas and intermittently filled streambeds.  These dark particulates are also seen in the short channels that are most likely caused by powerful springs that are presumably still active.  These channels should be light colored at the bottom and not dark due to the constant running of the methane springs. 

Also, The ice pebbles surrounding the lander were very rounded, light colored and clean (without a crust of dark hydrocarbon mud) which leads me to believe that they have been eroded by liquid (wave or streambed action) very recently.

Agreed. I would expect to see chromographic banding, if dark organics are being washed by any solvent process - reverse phase or otherwise. I don't see any evidence of this.

In the Great Basin of Utah/Nevada, the "bathtub ring" caused by a lake that dried up 10-20,000 years ago is very apparent in either radar or visual imaging. In southern Utah, the millenial old uplifted ocean bed responsible for Zion, Arches, and Canyonlands national parks demonstrate little if any of the shoreline evidence obvious in 'geologically current' features.

Since the surface of Titan is relatively new, if we cannot find evidence of shoreline erosion, we should expect to find tetonic and volcanic activity.

[imran]

Just an article I found interesting.

Rivers on Titan, one of Saturn's moons, resemble those on earth