Researchers of the University of Hawaiihave identified on Titan, the largest moon of Saturnan insulating crust of methane up to 10 kilometers thick.
This finding, published in The Planetary Science Journalsuggests that this layer of clathrate methane not only warms the ice sheet underlying, but could also explain Titan’s methane-rich atmosphere.
Titan is the only known celestial body, apart from the earthwhich has a dense atmosphere and liquid bodies in the form of rivers, lakes and seas. Its liquids, however, are mainly composed of hydrocarbons such as methane and ethane due to low temperatures.
The research team used data from the POT to study Titan’s impact craters. They discovered that they are more superficial than expected, with only 90 craters identified. According to researcher Lauren Schurmeier, this anomaly could be due to the fact that the craters flatten quickly due to the insulating layer of clathrate of methane.
Key to understanding the carbon cycle
To test this hypothesis, scientists used computer models to simulate topography of Titan after an impact. The results revealed that the layer of clathrate can cause rapid relaxation of topography, similar to the movement of glaciers on Earth.
Additionally, this layer could be key to understanding the carbon cycle and the “hydrological cycle” based on liquid methane on Titan.
The discovery highlights the possibility of a warm and active interior on this moon, which could facilitate biomarker transport from the subterranean ocean to the surface, which would be a crucial objective for future missions, such as Dragonfly mission from NASA in 2028.
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