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Release of volatiles from a possible cryovolcano from near-infrared imaging of Titan

Nature volume 435, pages 786–789 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Titan is the only satellite in our Solar System with a dense atmosphere. The surface pressure is 1.5 bar (ref. 1) and, similar to the Earth, N2 is the main component of the atmosphere. Methane is the second most important component2, but it is photodissociated on a timescale of 107 years (ref. 3). This short timescale has led to the suggestion that Titan may possess a surface or subsurface reservoir of hydrocarbons4,5 to replenish the atmosphere. Here we report near-infrared images of Titan obtained on 26 October 2004 by the Cassini spacecraft. The images show that a widespread methane ocean does not exist; subtle albedo variations instead suggest topographical variations, as would be expected for a more solid (perhaps icy) surface. We also find a circular structure ∼30 km in diameter that does not resemble any features seen on other icy satellites. We propose that the structure is a dome formed by upwelling icy plumes that release methane into Titan's atmosphere.

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Figure 1: Titan's map at 2.03 µm wavelength.
Figure 2: VIMS high-resolution observations.
Figure 3: High-resolution image of Fig. 2d at different wavelengths.
Figure 4: Geological interpretation of the high-resolution image.

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Acknowledgements

We thank E. Mercier, D. Mège, J.-P. Combe and O. Bourgeois for discussions about interpreting the high-resolution image, and R. Wagner for help in the projection of the cubes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique, UMR CNRS 6112, Université de Nantes, 44100, Nantes, France

    C. Sotin, S. LeMouelic & S. Rodriguez

  2. Institute of Planetary Exploration, DLR, 12489, Berlin, Germany

    R. Jaumann, K. Stephan & C. K. Scholz

  3. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, California, 91109-8099, Pasadena, USA

    B. J. Buratti, K. H. Baines, D. L. Matson & R. M. Nelson

  4. Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and Stewart Observatory, University of Arizona, Arizona, 85721-0092, Tucson, USA

    R. H. Brown

  5. US Geological Survey, Colorado, 80225, Denver, USA

    R. N. Clark

  6. US Geological Survey, Arizona, 86011, Flagstaff, USA

    L. A. Soderblom

  7. Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario, CNR, 00133, Rome, Italy

    G. Bellucci, A. Coradini & V. Formisano

  8. Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, Université de Paris-Sud, Orsay, 91405, France

    J.-P. Bibring & Y. Langevin

  9. Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, CNR, 00133, Rome, Italy

    F. Capaccioni & P. Cerroni

  10. Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, 92195, France

    M. Combes, P. Drossart & B. Sicardy

  11. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, 94035-1000, USA

    D. P. Cruikshank

  12. Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Washington, 98195-1310, Seattle, USA

    T. B. McCord

  13. Cornell University, Astronomy Department, New York, 14853, Ithaca, USA

    P. D. Nicholson

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  1. C. Sotin
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  2. R. Jaumann
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  8. G. Bellucci
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  14. D. P. Cruikshank
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  15. P. Drossart
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  16. V. Formisano
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  17. Y. Langevin
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  18. D. L. Matson
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  19. T. B. McCord
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  20. R. M. Nelson
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  21. P. D. Nicholson
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  22. B. Sicardy
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  23. S. LeMouelic
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  24. S. Rodriguez
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  25. K. Stephan
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  26. C. K. Scholz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Sotin.

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Sotin, C., Jaumann, R., Buratti, B. et al. Release of volatiles from a possible cryovolcano from near-infrared imaging of Titan. Nature 435, 786–789 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03596

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