MODELLING OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS ON TITAN

PDF
Published: Jan 1, 2010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/bgsg.11679
A. Solomonidou
A.D. Fortes
K. Kyriakopoulos
Abstract

Observations by the Visual Infrared Spectrometer instrument (VIMS) aboard the Cassini mission have
indicated the possible presence of CO2 ice on the surface on Titan, in areas which exhibit high
reflectance in specific spectral windows (McCord et al., 2008). Two of the bright spots of significance
are located within the Xanadu region – Tui Regio (located at 20°S, 130°W) and Hotei Regio (located
at 26°S, 78°W), and there is a further spot situated in proximity to Omacatl Macula (Hayne et al.,
2008). Explosive volcanic eruptions of a cryomagma containing H2O and CO2 are modelled for
several potential scenarios regarding entrained CO2 clathrates. The model yielded a range of values
corresponding to the fragmentation pressure in the lava conduit, the velocity of the exploding
cryomagma, the height of the associated lava fountain and the potential distance covered by ejecta.
The results show that a single vent source does not possess the force required to cover an area
resembling Hotei Regio or Tui Regio. Therefore, we consider alternative origins: the area may have
been resurfaced by small CO2 grains resulting from multiple explosive eruptions emanating from a
zone of weakness (Hayne et al., 2008); the characteristics of the area are consequential of an eruption
of cryomagma with CO2 and NH3 components (McCord et al., 2008); or finally, long term seasonal
winds transferred small CO2 grains and distributed them within the limits of Tui Regio area.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Petrology and Mineralogy
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Barnes, J.W., Brown, R. H., Turtle, E.P., McEwen, A.S., Lorenz, R. D., Janssen, M., Schaller, E.M., Brown,
M.E., Buratti, B.J., Sotin, C., Griffith, C., Clark, R., Perry, J., Fussner, S., Barbara, J., West, R., Elachi, C.,
bounchez, A.H., Roe, H.G., Baines, K.H., Bellucci, G., Bibring, J.P., Capaccioni, F., Cerroni, P., Combes,
M., Coradini, A., Cruikshank, D.P., Drossart, P., Formisano, V., Jaumann, R., Langevin, Y., Matson, D., Mc-
Cord, T.B., Nicholson, P.D., Sicardy, B., 2005. A 5-Micron-Bright Spot on Titan: Evidence for Surface Diversity.
Science, 310, 92-95.
Barnes, J.W., Radebaugh, J., Buratti, B.J., Sotin, C., Le Mouelic, S., Rodriguez, S., Turtle, E.P., Perry, L., Clark,
R., Baines, K.H., Nicholson, D., 2006. Cassini observations of flow-like features in western Tui Regio,
Titan. Geophys. R. Lett., 33, L16204.
Brown, R.H., Baines, K.H., Bellucci, G., Borbing, J.P., Buratti, B.J., Capaccioni, F., Cerroni, P., Clark, R.N., Coradini,
A., Cruikshank, D.P., Drossart, P., Formisano, V., Jaumann, R., Lamgevin, Y., Matson, D.L., McCord,
T.B., Mennella, V., Miller, E., Nelson, R.M., Nicholson, P.D., Sicardy, B. and Sotin, C., 2004. The Cassini visual
and infrared mapping spectrometer (VIMS) investigation. Space Science Reviews, 115, 112-168.
Bryson, R.A., Goodman, B.M., 1980. Volcanic Activity and Climatic Changes. Science, 207, 1041-1044.
Coustenis, A., Taylor, F., 1999. Book: Titan: The Earth-Like Moon. Series on Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary
Physics – Vol. 1.
Coustenis, A. et al., 2009. THE JOINT NASA-ESA TITAN SATURN SYSTEM MISSION (TSSM) STUDY.
th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, id:1060.
Fortes, A.D., 2000 Exobiological implications of a possible subsurface ocean inside Titan. Icarus, 146, 444–452.
Fortes, A.D., Grindrod, P.M., Trickett S.K, Voˇcadlo L., 2007 Ammonium sulfate on Titan: Possible origin and
role in cryovolcanism. Icarus, 188, 139–153.
Grundy, W.M., Schmitt, B., Quirico, E., 2002. The temperature-dependent spectrum of methane ice I between
7 and 5 μm and opportunities for nearinfrared remote thermometry. Icarus, 155, 486–496.
Hayne, P., McCord, T.B., Sotin, C., Barmatz, M., Mielke, R., Combe, J.P., Hansen, G. B., 2008. Titan: Observational
Constraints on Cryovolcanism. 39th LPSC, LPI Contribution No. 1391, 2010.
Johnson, T., 2004. Geology of the icy satellites. Space science reviews, 166, 401-420.
Kargel, J.S., 1994. Cryovolcanism on the icy satellites. Earth, Moon, and Planets, 67, 1-3.
Kempf, S., Beckmann, U., Schmidt, J., 2008. The E ring in the vicinity of Enceladus. Icarus, 193, 420-437.
Lopes, R.M.C., Mitchell, K.L., Stofan, E.R., Lunine, J.I, Lorenz, R., Paganelli, F., Kirk, R.L, Wood, C.A, Wall,
S.D., Robshaw, L.E., Fortes, A.D., Neish, C.D., Radebaugh, J., Reffet, E., Ostro, S.J., Elachi, C., Allison,
M.D., Anderson, Y., Boehmer, R., Boudin, G., Callahan, P., Encrenaz, P., Flamini, E., Francescetti, G.,
Gim, Y,m Hamilton, G., Hensley, S., Janssen, M.A., Johnson, W.T.K., Kelleher, K., Muhleman, D.O., Ori,
G., Orosei, R., Picardi, G., Posa, F., Roth, L.E., Seu, R., Shaffer, S., Soderblom, L.A., Stiles, B., Vetrella,
S., West, R.D., Wye, L., Zebker, H.A., 2007. Cryovolcanic features on Titan’s surface as revealed by the
Cassini Titan Radar Mapper. Icarus, 186, 395–412.
Lorenz, R.D., 2006. The exploration of Titan. Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest, 27, 113-144.
Lorenz, R.D. and Mitton, J., 2008. Book: Titan Unveiled. Princeton University Press.
Lorenz, R.D., Mitchell, K.L., Kirk, R.L., Hayes, A.G., Aharonson. O., Zebker, H.A., Paillou, P., Radebaugh, J.,
Lunine, J., Jannsen, M.A., Wall, S.D., Lopes, R.M., Stiles, B., Ostro, S., Mitri, G., Stofan, E.R. and the Cassini
XLIII, No 5 – 2735
RADAR team. 2008a. Titan's inventory of organic surface materials. Geophysical research letters, 38, 2-17.
Mahaffy, R., 2005. Intensive Titan Exploration Begins. Science, 308, 969–970.
Matson, D.L., Castillo, J.C., Lunine, J., Johnson, T., 2007. Enceladus' plume: Compositional evidence for a hot
interior. Icarus, 187, 569-573.
McCord, T.B., Hayne, P., Combe, J.P., Hansen, G. B., Barnes, J. W., Rodriguez, S., Le Mouelic, S., Baines, E., Buratti,
B. J., Sotin, C., Nicholson, P., Jaumann, R., Nelson, R., and the Cassini VIMS TEAM. 2008. Titan’s surface:
Search for spectral diversity and composition using the Cassini VIMS investigation. Icarus, 194, 212–242.
Nelson, R.M., Kamp, L., Matson, D.L., Irwin, P.G.J., Baines, K.H., Boryta, M.D., Leader, F.E., Jaumann, R.,
Smythe, W.D., Sotin, C., Clark, N., Cruikshank, D.P., Drossart, P., Pearl, J.C., Hapke, B.W., Lunine, J.,
Combes, M., Bellucci, G., Bibring, J.P., Capaccioni, F., Cerroni, P., Coradini, A., Formisano, V., Filacchione,
G., Langevin, R.Y., McCord, T.B., Mennella, V., Nicholson, P.D. and Sicardy, B., 2007. Saturn's
Titan: Searching for Surface Change. AGU Fall Meeting, #P22B-03.
Porco, C.C., Baker, E., Barbara, J., Brahic, A., Burns, J.A., Charnoz, S., Cooper, N., Dawson, D.D., Del Genio,
A.D., Denk, T., Dones, L., Dyudina, U., Evans, M.W., Giese, B., Grazier, K., Helfestein, P., Ingersoll, A.P.,
Jacobson, R.A., Johnson, T.V., McEwen, A., Murray, C.D., Neukum, G., Owen, W.M., Perry, J., Roatsch, t.,
Spitale, J., Sqyures, S., Thomas, P.C., Tiscareno, M., Turtle, E., Vasavada, A.R., Veverka, J., Wagner, R. and
West, R., 2005. Cassini Imaging Science: Initial Results on Phoebe and Iapetus. Science, 307, 1237–1242.
Radebaugh, J., et al., 2008. Dunes on Titan observed by Cassini Radar. Icarus, 194, 690–703.
Radebaugh, J., 2009 Linear dunes on Titan and earth: Initial remote sensing comparisons. GEOMOR-
(IN PRESS).
Roe, H.G., Pater, I., Gibbard, S.G., Macintosh, B.A., Max, C.E., Young, E.F., Brown, M.E and Bouchez, A.H.,
A new 1.6-micron map of Titan’s surface. Geophysical research letters, 31, L17S03.
Rosi, M., Lupi, L., Papale, P., Stoppato, M., 2003. Volcanoes. Firefly Books.
Sotin, C., buratti, B.J., Brown, R.H., Clark, R.N., Soderblom, L.A., Baines, K.H., Bellucci, G., Bibring, J.P.,
Capacciono, F., Cerroni, P., Combes, M., Coradini, A., Cruikshank, D.P., Drossart, P., Formisano, V.,
Langevin, Y., Matson, D.L., McCord, T.B., Nelson, R.M., Nicholson, P.D., Sicardy, B., Lemouelic, S., Rodriguez,
S., Stephan, K and Scholz, C.K., 2005. Release of volatiles from a possible cryovolcano from
near-infrared imaging of Titan. Nature, 435, 786-789.
Stofan, E.R., Lunine, J.I., Lopes, R., Paganelli, F., Lorenz, R.D., Wood, C.A., Kork, R., Wall, S., Elachi, C.,
Soderblom, L.A., Istro, S., Janseen, M., Radebaugh, J., Wye, L., Zebker, H., Anderson, Y., Allison, M.,
Boehmer, R., Callahan, P., Encrenaz, P., Flamini, E., Francescetti, G., Gim, Y., Hamilton, G., Hensley, S.,
Jonson, W.T.K., Kelleher, K., Muhleman, D., Picardi, G., Posa, F., Roth, L., Seu, R., Shaffer, S and Stiles,
B., 2006. Mapping of Titan: Results from the first Titan radar passes. Icarus, 185, 443-456.
Stofan, E.R., Elachi, C., Lunine, J.I., Lorenz, R.D., Stiles, B., Mitchell, K.L., Ostro, S., Soderblom, L., Wood,
C., Zebker, H., Wall, S., Janssen, M., Kirk, R., Lopes, R., Paganelli, F., Radebaugh, J., Wye, L., Anderson,
Y., Allison, M., Boehmer, R., Callahan, P., Encrenaz, P., Flamini, R., Francescetti, G., Gim, Y., Hamilton,
G., Hensley, S., Johnson, W.K.T., Kelleher, K., Muhleman, D., Paillou, P., Picardi, G., Posa, F., Roth, L.,
Seu, R., Shaffer, S., Vetrella, S., West, E., 2007. The lakes of Titan. Nature, 445, 61-64.
Wagner, R. J., Neukum, G., Giese, B., Roatsch, T. and Denk, T., 2007. Geology and Geomorphology of Rhea:
a First Look at the High-Resolution Cassini ISS Images from the Targeted Flyby on Aug. 30, 2007. AGU
Meeting abstract #P12B-06.
Most read articles by the same author(s)