Cryovolcanic features on Titan's surface as revealed by the Cassini Titan Radar Mapper

Rosaly M.C. Lopes; K. L. Mitchell; Ellen R. Stofan; Jonathan I. Lunine; Ralf D. Lorenz; F. Paganelli; Randolph L. Kirk; C. A. Wood; Stephen D. Wall; L.E. Robshaw; A.D. Fortes; Catherine D. Neish; Jani Radebaugh; E. Reffet; S.J. Ostro; Charles Elachi; M.D. Allison; Y. Anderson; R. Boehmer; G. Boubin; Philip S. Callahan; P. Encrenaz; E. Flamini; G. Francescetti; Y. Gim; G. Hamilton; S. Hensley; Michael A. Janssen; W.T.K. Johnson; K. Kelleher; D.O. Muhleman; G. Ori; R. Orosei; G. Picardi; F. Posa; L.E. Roth; R. Seu; S. Shaffer; Laurence A. Soderblom; B. Stiles; S. Vetrella; R.D. West; L. Wye; H. A. Zebker

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.09.006

Cryovolcanic features on Titan's surface as revealed by the Cassini Titan Radar Mapper

Icarus

By: Rosaly M.C. Lopes, K. L. Mitchell, Ellen R. Stofan, Jonathan I. Lunine, Ralf D. Lorenz, F. Paganelli, Randolph L. Kirk, C. A. Wood, Stephen D. Wall, L.E. Robshaw, A.D. Fortes, Catherine D. Neish, Jani Radebaugh, E. Reffet, S.J. Ostro, Charles Elachi, M.D. Allison, Y. Anderson, R. Boehmer, G. Boubin, Philip S. Callahan, P. Encrenaz, E. Flamini, G. Francescetti, Y. Gim, G. Hamilton, S. Hensley, Michael A. Janssen, W.T.K. Johnson, K. Kelleher, D.O. Muhleman, G. Ori, R. Orosei, G. Picardi, F. Posa, L.E. Roth, R. Seu, S. Shaffer, Laurence A. Soderblom, B. Stiles, S. Vetrella, R.D. West, L. Wye, and H. A. Zebker

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2006.09.006

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Abstract

The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper obtained Synthetic Aperture Radar images of Titan's surface during four fly-bys during the mission's first year. These images show that Titan's surface is very complex geologically, showing evidence of major planetary geologic processes, including cryovolcanism. This paper discusses the variety of cryovolcanic features identified from SAR images, their possible origin, and their geologic context. The features which we identify as cryovolcanic in origin include a large (180 km diameter) volcanic construct (dome or shield), several extensive flows, and three calderas which appear to be the source of flows. The composition of the cryomagma on Titan is still unknown, but constraints on rheological properties can be estimated using flow thickness. Rheological properties of one flow were estimated and appear inconsistent with ammonia-water slurries, and possibly more consistent with ammonia-water-methanol slurries. The extent of cryovolcanism on Titan is still not known, as only a small fraction of the surface has been imaged at sufficient resolution. Energetic considerations suggest that cryovolcanism may have been a dominant process in the resurfacing of Titan.

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Cryovolcanic features on Titan's surface as revealed by the Cassini Titan Radar Mapper
Series title	Icarus
DOI	10.1016/j.icarus.2006.09.006
Volume	186
Issue	2
Year Published	2007
Language	English
Publisher	Elsevier
Contributing office(s)	Astrogeology Science Center
Description	18 p.
Larger Work Type	Article
Larger Work Subtype	Journal Article
Larger Work Title	Icarus
First page	395
Last page	412
Other Geospatial	Titan
Google Analytic Metrics	Metrics page