Thermal convection in the porous methane-soaked regolith in Titan: Finite amplitude convection

Icarus

Volumn 217, Issue 1, 2012, Pages 130-143

  Czechowski, Leszek ^a   Kossacki, Konrad J ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW   (Poland)

Author keywords

Regoliths; Satellites, Surfaces; Thermal histories; Titan

Indexed keywords

EID: 82155186712     PISSN: 00191035     EISSN: 10902643     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2011.10.006     Document Type: Article

References (52)

1. Alekseev V.A. On the probability of cryogenic mud volcanism on Titan. Solar Syst. Res. 2008, 42(2):139-143. 10.1007/s11208-008-2005-9.
2. Atreya S.K., et al. Titan's methane cycle. Planet. Space Sci. 2006, 54:1177-1187.
3. Barnes J.W., et al. Organic sedimentary deposits in Titan's dry lakebeds: Probable evaporate. Icarus 2011, 216:136-140.
4. Barr A.C., Citron R.I., Canup R.M. Origin of a partially differentiated Titan. Icarus 2010, 209:858-862.
5. Brown R.H., et al. The identification of liquid ethane in Titan's Ontario Lacus. Nature 2008, 454:607-610. 10.1038/nature07100.
6. Brown R.H., Barnes J.W., Melosh H.J. On Titan's Xanadu region. Icarus 2011, 214:556-560.
7. Bucker D., Wagner W. A reference equation of state for the thermodynamic properties of ethane for temperatures from the melting line to 675K and pressures up to 900MPa. J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 2006, 35(1):205-265.
8. Castillo-Rogez J., Lunine J.I. Evolution of Titan's rocky core constrained by Cassini observations. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2010, 37:L20205. 10.1029/2010GL044398.
9. Choukroun M., Grasset O., Tobie G., Sotin C. Stability of methane clathrate hydrates under pressure: Influence on outgassing processes of methane on Titan. Icarus 2010, 205:581-593.
10. Clark R.N., et al. Detection and mapping of hydrocarbon deposits on Titan. J. Geophys. Res. 2010, 115:E10005. 10.1029/2009JE003369.
11. Cordier D., Mousis O., Lunine J.I., Lavvas P., Vuitton V. An estimate of the chemical composition of Titan's lakes. Astrophys. J. 2009, 707:L128-L131. 10.1088/0004-637X/707/2/L128.
12. Courtin R., Gautier D., McKay C.P. Titan's thermal emission spectrum: Reanalysis of the Voyager infrared measurements. Icarus 1995, 114:144-162.
13. Czechowski L. Theoretical approach to mantle convection. Dynamics of the Earth's Evolution 1993, 161-271. Elsevier, Amsterdam. R. Teisseyre, L. Czechowski, J. Leliwa-Kopystyński (Eds.).
14. Czechowski L., Kossacki K.J. Thermal convection in the porous methane-soaked regolith of Titan: Investigation of the stability. Icarus 2009, 202:599-607.
15. Czechowski L., Leliwa-Kopystynski J. Convection driven by tidal and radiogenic heating in medium size icy satellites. Planet. Space Sci. 2005, 53:749-769.
16. Fortes, A.D., 2011. Titan's internal structure and the evolutionary consequences. Special issue: Titan through time. Planet. Space Sci. 59, in press. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2011.04.010.
17. Fortes A.D., Grindrod P.M. Modelling of possible mud volcanism on Titan. Icarus 2006, 182:550-558. 10.1016/j.icarus.2005.11.013.
18. Fortes A.D., Grindrod P.M., Trickett S.K., Vocadlo L. Ammonium sulfate on Titan: Possible origin and role in cryovolcanism. Icarus 2007, 188:139-153. 10.1016/j.icarus.2006.11.002.
19. Grindrod P.M., Fortes A.D., Nimmo F., Feltham D.L., Brodholt J.P., Vocadlo L. The long-term stability of a possible aqueous ammonium sulfate ocean inside Titan. Icarus 2008, 197:137-151.
20. Hayes A., et al. Hydrocarbon lakes on Titan: Distribution and interaction with a porous regolith. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2008, 35:L09204. 10.1029/2008GL033409.
21. Hayes A.G., Aharonson O., Lunine J., Zebker H., Wye L., Lorenz R., Turtle E., Paillou P., Mitri G., Wall S., Stofan E.R., Elachi C., et al. Transient surface liquid in Titan's polar regions from Cassini. Icarus 2011, 211:655-671.
22. Iess L., et al. Gravity field, shape, and moment of inertia of Titan. Science 2010, 327:1367-1369.
23. Jain S.C., Nanda V.S. Equation of state and other associated properties of liquid argon and liquid methane. J. Phys. C: Solid State Phys. 1974, 4:3045-3056.
24. Janssen M., et al. Titan's surface at 2.2cm wavelength imaged by the Cassini RADAR radiometer: Calibration and first results. Icarus 2009, 200:222-239. 10.1016/j.icarus.2008.10.017.
25. Jennings D.E., et al. Titan's surface brightness temperatures. Astrophys. J. 2009, 691:103-105.
26. Kossacki K.J., Lorenz R.D. Hiding Titan's ocean: Densification and hydrocarbon storage in an icy regolith. Planet. Space Sci. 1996, 44:1029-1037.
27. Lopes R.M.C., et al. Cryovolcanic features on Titan's surface as revealed by the Cassini Titan Radar Mapper. Icarus 2007, 186:395-412.
28. Lopes R.M.C., et al. Distribution and interplay of geologic processes on Titan from Cassini radar data. Icarus 2010, 205:540-558.
29. Lorenz R.D., Niemann H.B., Harpold D.N., Way S.H., Zarnecki J.C. Titan's damp ground: Constraints on Titan surface thermal properties from the temperature evolution of the Huygens GCMS inlet. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. 2006, 41(11):1695-1835.
30. Lorenz R.D., Newman C., Lunine J.I. Threshold of wave generation on Titan's lakes and seas: Effect of viscosity and implications for Cassini observations. Icarus 2010, 207:932-937.
31. Lunine J.I., Elachi C., Wall S.D., Janssen M.A., Allison M.D., Anderson Y., Boehmer R., Callahan P., Encrenaz P., Flamini E., et al. Titan's diverse landscapes as evidenced by Cassini RADAR's third and fourth looks at Titan. Icarus 2008, 195:415-433.
32. McCord T.B., Hayne P., Combe J-P., Hansen G.B., Barnes J.W., Rodriguez S., Le Mouélic S., Kevin E., Baines H., Buratti B.J., Sotin C., Nicholson P., Jaumann R., Nelson R., et al. Titan's surface: Search for spectral diversity and composition using the Cassini VIMS investigation. Icarus 2008, 194:212-242.
33. Mitchell J.L. The drying of Titan's dunes: Titan's methane hydrology and its impact on atmospheric circulation. J. Geophys. Res. 2008, 113:E08015. 10.1029/2007JE003017.
34. Mitri G., Showman A.P., Lunine J.I., Lorenz R.D. Hydrocarbon lakes on Titan. Icarus 2007, 186:385-394.
35. Moore J.M., Pappalardo R.T. Titan: An exogenic world?. Icarus 2011, 212:790-806.
36. Moriconi M.L., Lunine J.I., Adriani A., D'Aversa E., Negrâo A., Filacchione G., Coradini A. Characterization of Titan's Ontario Lacus region from Cassini/VIMS observations. Icarus 2010, 210:823-831.
37. Paganelli F., Janssen M.A., Stiles B., West R., Lorenz R.D., Lunine J.I., Wall S.D., Callahan P., Lopes R.M., Stofan E., Kirk R.L., Johnson W.T.K., Roth L., Elachi C., et al. Titan's surface from the Cassini RADAR SAR and high resolution radiometry data of the first five flybys. Icarus 2007, 191:211-222.
38. Paganelli F., et al. Titan's surface from the Cassini RADAR radiometry data during SAR mode. Planet. Space Sci. 2008, 56:100-108. 10.1016/j.pss.2007.03.015.
39. Perron J.T., Lamb M.P., Koven C.D., Fung I.Y., Yager E., ádámkovics M. Valley formation and methane precipitation rates on Titan. J. Geophys. Res. 2006, 111:E11001. 10.1029/2005JE002602.
40. Radebaugh J., Lorenz R.D., Randolph L.K., Lunine J.I., Stofan E.R., Lopes R.M.C., Wall S.D., et al. Mountains on Titan observed by Cassini Radar. Icarus 2007, 192:77-91.
41. Samuelson R.E., Nath N.R., Borysov A. Gaseous abundances and methane supersaturation in Titan's troposphere. Planet. Space Sci. 1997, 45:959-980.
42. Schubert G., Spohn T., Reynolds R.T. Thermal histories, compositions and internal structures of the moons of the Solar System. Satellites 1986, 224-292. University Arizona Press, Tucson. J.A. Burns, M.S. Matthews (Eds.).
43. Schubert G., Turcotte D.L., Olson P. Mantle Convection in the Earth and Planets 2001, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK.
44. Soderblom L.A., et al. Topography and geomorphology of the Huygens landing site on Titan. Planet. Space Sci. 2007, 55:2015-2024.
45. Sotin C., Tobie G. Titan's hidden ocean. Science 2008, 319(5870):1629-1630. 10.1126/science.1155964.
46. Stofan E.R., et al. The lakes of Titan. Nature 2007, 445:61-64.
47. Tobie G., Grasset O., Lunine J.I., Mocquet A., Sotin C. Titan's internal structure inferred from a coupled thermal-orbital model. Icarus 2005, 175:496-502. 10.1016/j.icarus.2004.12.007.
48. Tobie G., Lunine J., Sotin C. Episodic outgassing as the origin of atmospheric methane on Titan. Nature 2006, 440:61-64. 10.1038/nature04497.
49. Tomasko M.G., et al. Rain, winds and haze during the Huygens probe's descent to Titan's surface. Nature 2005, 438:765-778.
50. Turcotte D.L., Schubert G. Geodynamics 2001, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, UK. second ed.
51. Wall S., et al. Active shoreline of Ontario Lacus, Titan: A morphological study of the lake and its surroundings. Geophys. Res. Lett. 2010, 37:L05202. 10.1029/2009GL041821.
52. Zarnecki J.C., et al. A soft solid surface on Titan as revealed by the Huygens Surface Science Package. Nature 2005, (438/8):792-795. 10.1038/nature04211.