[X] My Assistant

[titanicrivers]

Titan topics @ AGU 2008

The following links originally posted by E. Lakdawalla in her Planetary Society blog of 12-8-08 takes one to the interesting poster and platform session abstracts to be presented at the AGU this week. Lots of thought provoking topics covering Titan's atmosphere and surface!
http://www.agu.org/cgi-bin/sessions5?meeti...amp;maxhits=400
http://www.agu.org/cgi-bin/sessions5?meeti...amp;maxhits=400
http://www.agu.org/cgi-bin/sessions5?meeti...amp;maxhits=400

[ngunn]

Ganesa Macula - just a random inkblot?

Thanks for this one Emily.

Disappearing volcano No. 2. (Better find some new ones quick.)
http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001771/

Let me guess the reaction here.

Phil will say it was overinterpreted in the first place.

Mike will have a new interpretation posted by midnight.


Seriously, what say all??

[titanicrivers]

[quote name='ngunn' date='Dec 16 2008, 10:44 AM' post='132761']
Ganesa Macula - just a random inkblot?
Seriously, what say all??

I may have missed something but the abstract of Kirk et al “A Three-Dimensional View of Titan's Surface Features from Cassini RADAR Stereogrammetry” http://www.agu.org/cgi-bin/wais?mm=P11D-09 seems to suggest the jury is still out on whether Ganesa is a dome or a depression. To quote from their abstract:
“We are collecting DTMs of all usable image pairs and will present the most interesting results. Examples of geologic questions that may be addressed are: What is the relation between Ganesa and surrounding features? Is it a dome or shield? “
Perhaps the outer portion is a collapsed cryocaldera and the central crater a more recent cryolava vent. This supports Mike’s observation of the 3 and 9 o’clock channels appearing to ‘flow’ towards the center while the 5 o’clock cryolava channel (which has a different morphology) flows outward from the center.

[elakdawalla]

...the abstract of Kirk et al “A Three-Dimensional View of Titan's Surface Features from Cassini RADAR Stereogrammetry” http://www.agu.org/cgi-bin/wais?mm=P11D-09 seems to suggest the jury is still out on whether Ganesa is a dome or a depression. To quote from their abstract: “We are collecting DTMs of all usable image pairs and will present the most interesting results. Examples of geologic questions that may be addressed are: What is the relation between Ganesa and surrounding features? Is it a dome or shield? “

The abstract was written long before they'd finished developing their DTMs, so, when he submitted his abstract, the jury was indeed still out. When Randy started his presentation, he apologized to half of the listed coauthors, who were supposed to have advised him on geologic interpretations -- apparently there was no time for advice, as he had only finished producing the maps on the previous Saturday. The answer is that it's neither a dome nor a depression. It's high in some places and low in others with almost no relation to the apparently circular radar-dark shape.

--Emily