Saturn's Moon Titan has Dunes

[mvisvitae]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/05/05/titan.dunes.reut/index.html

 

[voyagerwsh]

The interesting stuffs--grains, which make up the sand dunes, would not be possible of silica, like earth's sand desert, since no rock is exposed on the surface of Titan, according to the paper researchers. Lorenz et. al. have offered two possibilities of the grain source, ice particles and organic soilds, possibly hydrocarbons.

 

[JonClarke]

At those temperatures ice is probably hader than quartz<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

One interesting point to ponder is that on earth dune seas are generally developed over areas of sand rich material. On Titan the radar dark areas are generally lower than the bright areas. If the dark areas on Titan are all sand dunes then twoi possibilities raise their head:<br /><br />Either the depressions are floored by sand deposited by episodic floods of liquid and then are reworked into sand (Lake Chad is such an area on earth).<br /><br />Or the dark areas represent areas of bedrock that is compsotionally or mechanically prone to being broken into sand-sized fragments.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

Aren't they beautiful? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>