Is Titan an Ice covered liquid methane world?

[rlb2]

For a while my thought was - if they don’t find liquid methane oceans on the surface that they may find it below an ice covered world. My first thought was that it too warm on the surface of Titan to have a ocean of methane, I expect higher temperatures, however if it didn’t have it on its surface, my next thought was maybe it was buried underneath a global ice sheet similar to Europa. <br /><br />Now some scientists believe that the methane is seeping out of the ground and raining back down to the surface. If that’s true then a Europa type ice covered world may not be a bad guess, only this time it is liquid methane.<br /><br />Don't know if I was the first to express this thought in writting. This was just a thought folks – It’s intended not to be confused with reality.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[ratliff]

The processes which are becoming evident on Titan are amazing! The evidence for the equivalent of an hydrologic cycle except with methane; water and ammonia volcanoes, methane rain, hydrocarbon sedimentary deposits, and water ice rounded pebbles from fluvial erosion and deposition. <br /><br />Suppose that this does represent something similar to earth's primoridial atmosphere cryogenically preserved?<br />Think also about the earth-equivalent lithological cycle with giant ice rafts as the crustal plates.<br /><br />The implications are astounding! <br />JR

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">The evidence for the equivalent of an hydrologic cycle except with methane; water and ammonia volcanoes, methane rain, hydrocarbon sedimentary deposits, and water ice rounded pebbles from fluvial erosion and deposition.<font color="white"><br /><br />We have embarked on a world that turns some of our Earthly understandings upside down. We heard talk of what to expect but to imagine methane rain. <br /><br />Titan<br /><br />A world that is much colder than anywhere on Earth and there is a liquid flowing on its surface. <br /><br />A world where they were hoping for just a look at the landing site only, so they brought lights, but found out later that there is a glow in the atmosphere that helps light up the planet with just a little help from the sun.<br /><br />A world where the ingredients for life with complex hydrocarbons is wet lying on the surface with a weathering system that is similar but in some respect opposite of Earths.<br /><br />As you described the discoveries of Cassini / Huygens makes Titan a candidate for primordial Earth equivalence. This will give us hope for what lies on future cold desolate worlds we have yet to discover. <br /><br />Next stop is interstellar space and planet size worlds with oceans of liquid helium….<br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>