| Abstract: | Titan was once thought to have global oceans of light hydrocarbons on its surface, but after 40 close flybys of Titan by the Cassini spacecraft, it has become clear that no such oceans exist. There are, however, features similar to terrestrial lakes and seas, and widespread evidence for fluvial erosion, presumably driven by precipitation of liquid methane from Titan‘s dense, nitrogen-dominated atmosphere. Here we report infrared spectroscopic data, obtained by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) on board the Cassini spacecraft, that strongly indicate that ethane, probably in liquid solution with methane, nitrogen and other low-molecular-mass hydrocarbons, is contained within Titan‘s Ontario Lacus. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70003715 |
| Citation Author: | Brown, R.H.; Soderblom, L.A.; Soderblom, J.M.; Clark, R.N.; Jaumann, R.; Barnes, J.W.; Sotin, C.; Buratti, B.; Baines, K.H.; Nicholson, P.D. |
| Citation Contributing Office: | Astrogeology Science Center |
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| Citation End Page: | 610 |
| Citation Issue: | 7204 |
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| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Nature |
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| Citation Phsyical Description: | 4 p. |
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| Citation Publisher: | Nature Publishing Group |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | The identification of liquid ethane in Titan‘s Ontario Lacus; 2008; Article; Journal; Nature; Brown, R.H.; Soderblom, L.A.; Soderblom, J.M.; Clark, R.N.; Jaumann, R.; Barnes, J.W.; Sotin, C.; Buratti, B.; Baines, K.H.; Nicholson, P.D. |
| Citation Start Page: | 607 |
| Citation Volume: | 454 |
| Citation Year: | 2008 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | The identification of liquid ethane in Titan‘s Ontario Lacus; 2008; Article; Journal; Nature; Brown, R.H.; Soderblom, L.A.; Soderblom, J.M.; Clark, R.N.; Jaumann, R.; Barnes, J.W.; Sotin, C.; Buratti, B.; Baines, K.H.; Nicholson, P.D. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| URL (INDEX PAGE): | http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v454/n7204/abs/nature07100.html |
| Date Other: | Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:00 -0500 |
| Publisher: | Nature Publishing Group |
