Cassini maps Titan Dunes.

[3488]

Fascinating updates here.

Titan's dunes help map Titan's wind patterns.

Map of Titan February 2009. Note how the arctic region is now being mapped as the Spring Equinox approaches in August.

Edge of Titan's Dunes, December 2008.

Cassini maps Titan's dunes.

Andrew Brown.

 

[silylene]

Thanks Andrew.

This was intersiting from the article you linked: Titan's rippled dunes are generally oriented east-west. Surprisingly, their orientation and characteristics indicate that near the surface, Titan's winds blow toward the east instead of toward the west. This means that Titan's surface winds blow opposite the direction suggested by previous global circulation models of Titan.

I wonder why the weather models were so wrong?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Thanks Andrew.


I wonder why the weather models were so wrong?

Sorry to see you are still petet. Hopefully that will be resolved as the bugz are squashed.

 

[3488]

Thanks Andrew.

This was intersiting from the article you linked: Titan's rippled dunes are generally oriented east-west. Surprisingly, their orientation and characteristics indicate that near the surface, Titan's winds blow toward the east instead of toward the west. This means that Titan's surface winds blow opposite the direction suggested by previous global circulation models of Titan.

I wonder why the weather models were so wrong?

Hi silylene,

I am not surprised at that. Blowing from the west would match Titan's own rotational direction.

Huygens during the final minute or so during the descent, did change from an easterly to a westerly direction, but that appears with the new data, to be due to localized weather rather than global.

I think the problem is, that Cassini can only observe Titan when well placed due to the orbit around Saturn, so Cassini cannot observe 24/7. However as the number of observations increase & the SAR imagery coverage of the surface increases, this will help pin down more specifics regarding surface features & their relationship with the atmosphere (erosional processes, dunes, deposition, etc), based on observations from the other instruments, etc.

With the Equinox Mission & the likely to be accomplished Solstice Mission seven year further extension, Titan should be well cased by all instruments & hopefully the SAR may image over half of Titan, meaning that Cassini may accomplish much that a dedicated Titan orbiter would achieve.

Andrew Brown.

 

[3488]

Thanks Andrew.


I wonder why the weather models were so wrong?

Sorry to see you are still petet. Hopefully that will be resolved as the bugz are squashed.

Hi Wayne, I think the bugz are getting squashed alright. silylene should be back to being silylene soon hopefully.

Andrew Brown.