[X] My Assistant

[Juramike]

Recently released article on RADAR interpretations of Titan's mountains.

"Mountains of Titan observed by Cassini Radar"

J. Radebaugh, R. Lorenz, R. Kirk, J. Lunine, E.R. Stofan, R. Lopes, S. Wall
Icarus (2007) doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.06.020

[Only accessible via Icarus website? I have no clue how to link to a free abstract. Sorry, y'all!]


This is the full paper following the 2006 LPS abstract (which is freely available):

Radebaugh et al LPS 37 (2006) Abstract 1007. “Mountains on Titan Observed by Cassini Radar”. Abstract freely available here.

-Mike

[Juramike]

linkback: http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...st&p=128592

OT for a 'lakes' thread but from the same conference session, an note about compressional tectonism on Titan, unique among icy moons. Secular global contraction does not produce tectonic folds with preferred directions. De-spinning can, but in the wrong sense for those observed. (It favours NS rather than EW fold ridges) We see EW ones, exemplified by T8 radar. A questioner made the point that we are missing something, and the speaker did not cotradict that. My suggestion is already on record here so I won't sound off again.

It was pretty neat to see the comparison/contrast of Titan with Ganymede. (Ganymede had a "runaway thermal effect" while Titan just cooled down). It was very cool to see that a high crustal temperature gradient could produce the tectonic undulations observed on Titan.

[Gotta ask here, but maybe the tectonic undulations fit better with the N-S undulations rather than the E-W tectonic ridges?]

I did start wondering if maybe there could be an even larger harmonic that could be defining the wider basins on Titan surface. Maybe Fensal and Aztlan are the low points of the meta-harmonic and Quivira is the high point of the meta-harmonic. Superimposed on this pattern is the "shorter" wavelength 50 km E-W tectonic ridge harmonics. This is real similar to the Showman Ganymede model, just differing by a few orders of magnitude - smaller thrust faults were proposed as the finer grooves on Ganymede.

Extending it out even more, could some of the larger "blobs" be parts where the 2D harmonics combined to broad maximal amplitude? (Adiri, Xanadu, some of the large blobby bright masses on the trailing side of Titan.)

Just a thought....Some of the bright/dark patterns seem to almost look like symmetrical interference patterns.

(Anything outside the equatorial zone is going to be faded out and not as evident).

-Mike