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Mapping of Titan: Results from the first Titan radar passes |
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| Authors: | ER Stofan JI Lunine R Lopes RD Lorenz R Kirk C Elachi S Ostro J Radebaugh H Zebker M Allison P Callahan E Flamini Y Gim S Hensley K Kelleher G Picardi L Roth S Shaffer S Vetrella |
| Institution: | a Proxemy Research, P.O. Box 338, Rectortown, VA 20140, USA b Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere, 00133 Rome, Italy c Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA d Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA e Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Ft. Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, AZ 85719-2395, USA f U.S. Geological Survey, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA g Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, 360 Mitchell, Stanford, CA 94305, USA h NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025, USA i L'Observatoire de Paris, DEMIRM 61, avenue de l'Observatoire, 75014 Paris, France j Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Viale Liegi 26, 00198 Rome, Italy k Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Napoli, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Napoli, Italy l California Institute of Technology, Geological and Planetary Sciences, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA m Radar and Remote Sensing, Info-Com Department, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy n INFM and Dipartimento Interateneo di Fisica, Politecnico di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy |
| Abstract: | The first two swaths collected by Cassini's Titan Radar Mapper were obtained in October of 2004 (Ta) and February of 2005 (T3). The Ta swath provides evidence for cryovolcanic processes, the possible occurrence of fluvial channels and lakes, and some tectonic activity. The T3 swath has extensive areas of dunes and two large impact craters. We interpret the brightness variations in much of the swaths to result from roughness variations caused by fracturing and erosion of Titan's icy surface, with additional contributions from a combination of volume scattering and compositional variations. Despite the small amount of Titan mapped to date, the significant differences between the terrains of the two swaths suggest that Titan is geologically complex. The overall scarcity of impact craters provides evidence that the surface imaged to date is relatively young, with resurfacing by cryovolcanism, fluvial erosion, aeolian erosion, and likely atmospheric deposition of materials. Future radar swaths will help to further define the nature of and extent to which internal and external processes have shaped Titan's surface. |
| Keywords: | Titan Geological processes Saturn satellites Satellites surfaces |
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