Active shoreline of Ontario Lacus, Titan: A morphological study of the lake and its surroundings
PAILLOU, Philippe
Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers [OASU]
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux [Pessac] [LAB]
Laboratoire d'astrodynamique, d'astrophysique et d'aéronomie de bordeaux [L3AB]
Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 [UB]
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Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers [OASU]
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux [Pessac] [LAB]
Laboratoire d'astrodynamique, d'astrophysique et d'aéronomie de bordeaux [L3AB]
Université Sciences et Technologies - Bordeaux 1 [UB]
Language
en
Article de revue
This item was published in
Geophysical Research Letters. 2010-03, vol. 37, p. 05202
American Geophysical Union
English Abstract
Of more than 400 filled lakes now identified on Titan, the first and largest reported in the southern latitudes is Ontario Lacus, which is dark in both infrared and microwave. Here we describe recent observations including ...Read more >
Of more than 400 filled lakes now identified on Titan, the first and largest reported in the southern latitudes is Ontario Lacus, which is dark in both infrared and microwave. Here we describe recent observations including synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images by Cassini's radar instrument (λ = 2 cm) and show morphological evidence for active material transport and erosion. Ontario Lacus lies in a shallow depression, with greater relief on the southwestern shore and a gently sloping, possibly wave-generated beach to the northeast. The lake has a closed internal drainage system fed by Earth-like rivers, deltas and alluvial fans. Evidence for active shoreline processes, including the wave-modified lakefront and deltaic deposition, indicates that Ontario is a dynamic feature undergoing typical terrestrial forms of littoral modification.Read less <
English Keywords
Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Hydrology and fluvial processes
Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Surface materials and properties
Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Remote sensing
Origin
Hal imported