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Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2019

Geomorphological map of the Soi crater region on Titan

Résumé

We present a geomorphological map of the Soi crater region of Titan. The map helps us to infer the geological processes responsible for the formation and evolution of terrains in this region. Our mapping followed the general principles outlined in Malaska et al. (Icarus, 2016). We used the Cassini's Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data as the basemap, but incorporated information from other datasets, including microwave emissivity, topography, and infrared spectra. We examined different terrain units in terms of spatial distribution and stratigraphic relations. The total area of the region was 9,692,120 km2, spanning from the equator to 60o N and from 180oW to 100oW. However, only 53% of the area was covered by SAR data of sufficient high resolution for mapping. Low spatial resolution ISS and VIMS data are available for the remainder, enabling us to make some inferences about the types of terrain units present, from correlations obtained previously. We find that, as for the Afekan region, plains are the dominant unit in the mid-latitudes, with undifferentiated plains being the most extensive, covering 38% of the mapped area. Other plains units cover an additional 35% of the area mapped, while dune units make up 14% and mountainous units 1.5%. Mountainous units are identified as the oldest, dune units and streak-like plains are the youngest, while undifferentiated plains are of intermediate age. Only 8 craters, including Soi, are identified in this region. They are older than plains and dune units but there is no contact between these craters and the mountainous units. The microwave emissivity of the undifferentiated plains and dune units are consistent with organic materials while the microwave emissivity of the mountainous units is consistent with fractured water ice materials. This agrees with previous conclusions that the mountainous terrains are the oldest exposed unit and consistent with the presumed icy, crustal materials (Lopes et al., 2010, Icarus). The plains materials are consistent with deposits resulting from the transport and emplacement of organic-rich materials predominantly by aeolian mechanisms. Our map contains a large area of scalloped plains, which appear to be a transitional unit between the sedimentary-dominated mid latitudes and the high latitudes, where aeolian deposition is rare.
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Dates et versions

insu-04450475 , version 1 (10-02-2024)

Identifiants

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C. Lopes R. M., M. Malaska, A. Schoenfeld, A. Solomonidou, D. Williams, et al.. Geomorphological map of the Soi crater region on Titan. American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2019, Dec 2019, San Francisco, United States. pp.abstract #P23D-3525. ⟨insu-04450475⟩
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