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Ethane ocean on titan.

J I Lunine, D J Stevenson, Y L Yung

    Science (New York, N.Y.)
    |December 16, 1983
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Saturn's moon Titan may have a deep ethane ocean. This ocean, in equilibrium with its methane atmosphere, could explain Titan's atmospheric composition and is consistent with Voyager data.

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    Area of Science:

    • Planetary Science
    • Astrobiology
    • Chemical Oceanography

    Background:

    • Titan, Saturn's largest moon, possesses a dense atmosphere primarily composed of nitrogen and methane.
    • Evidence suggests the presence of surface liquids, but their composition and origin remain subjects of investigation.
    • Understanding Titan's surface and atmospheric chemistry is crucial for assessing its potential habitability.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To propose and investigate the composition and implications of a global ethane-rich ocean on Titan.
    • To determine if such an ocean can exist in thermodynamic equilibrium with Titan's methane-dominated atmosphere.
    • To assess the role of this proposed ocean in the moon's atmospheric photochemistry.

    Main Methods:

    • Thermodynamic equilibrium modeling of ocean-atmosphere interactions.

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  • Analysis of photochemical models predicting the fate of methane in Titan's atmosphere.
  • Comparison of model-derived atmospheric and oceanic compositions with existing observational data, including Voyager mission findings.

    • Main Results:

    • A global ocean, 1-7 km deep, composed primarily of ethane (approximately 70%), methane (25%), and nitrogen (5%), is proposed.
    • This ethane-rich ocean is thermodynamically stable and in equilibrium with a methane-rich atmosphere (3% mole fraction methane).
    • Photochemical models indicate that ethane is the main product of methane photolysis, suggesting the ocean acts as both a source and a sink for atmospheric constituents.

    Conclusions:

    • The proposed ethane-ocean model provides a plausible explanation for the observed atmospheric composition of Titan.
    • The ocean's role as a source and sink for photolysis products reconciles atmospheric chemistry with surface conditions.
    • This model is consistent with data from the Voyager spacecraft, supporting its validity.