[X] My Assistant

[Webscientist]

The radar images of Xanadu and Hotei Arcus in the latest press release are consistent with my initial assumption regarding the bright arc of Hotei Arcus.

I had envisaged (like others, maybe ) that Hotei Arcus could be the outcome of a giant meteoritic impact crashing with a low angle and from a north-south direction, hence generating the bright arc ( visible in the near-infrared spretrum ).

I observe, in the latest radar swath ( from February 22, 2008 ), that there are bright sinuous channels oriented northward. That seems to me logical: if the presumed meteor had come from a north south direction with a relatively low angle, it would have produced a ( south ) topographic arc ( in the form of a mountain range ) via tectonic distortions and rivers of molten material, notably, in the opposite direction due to the slope engendered by the impact.

As a result, if this scenario is correct, I suspect that the topographic arc is dominated by very high mountains.

And I dare to bet that those mountains are the highest on Titan!

Do we have topographic information on this arc ?

The radar swath at:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/photos/imagedet...fm?imageId=3440