From Sea to Methane Sea

Titan Sea compared to Lake Superior on Earth
Titan Sea compared to Lake Superior on Earth

Woo-hoo! The Cassini spacecraft team released a radar image of what looks to be the largest body of liquid ever found on Titan’s surface. Titan, which orbits Saturn, is a chemically and geologically interesting world, and has been the subject of long-term study by the spacecraft since its arrival. The lake, which is likely made of liquid methane and/or ethane, covers about 100,000 square kilometers, which is larger than Lake Superior in the United States. Now, on Earth, seas are maintained through a constant cycle of water supply between the continents and water masses (the oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, etc.). Scientists think that on Titan, the same cycle is at work, but instead of water, the recycled material is methane (a hydrocarbon in great abundance in the outer solar system). And, there are more of these “seas” and lakes on Titan; so much so that the spacecraft teams are scheduling some additional radar studies of the surface to see them. Stay tuned!