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Transient clouds in Titan's lower atmosphere

C A Griffith1, T Owen, G A Miller

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff 86001-6010, USA. griffith@vela.phy.nau.edu

Nature
|October 23, 1998
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Voyager 1 data suggested Titan had a methane hydrological cycle, but later analysis indicated dry conditions. New observations reveal reflective methane clouds in Titan's troposphere, resolving this contradiction.

Area of Science:

  • Planetary Science
  • Atmospheric Science

Background:

  • Voyager 1 revealed Titan's thick nitrogen-methane atmosphere, hinting at a hydrological cycle.
  • Contradictory data suggested either a methane cycle or dry, stagnant conditions on Titan.
  • Titan's lower atmosphere remains obscured by stratospheric haze, hindering direct observation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate Titan's lower atmosphere and resolve apparent contradictions in its atmospheric conditions.
  • To search for evidence of methane clouds and precipitation in Titan's troposphere.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted near-infrared spectroscopic observations of Titan.
  • Utilized narrow spectral windows where Titan's atmosphere is transparent.
  • Analyzed flux enhancements indicative of reflective clouds.
Keywords:
Non-programmatic

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Main Results:

  • Detected significant flux enhancements in Titan's troposphere.
  • Identified reflective methane condensation clouds at low altitudes (15+/-10 km) and low latitudes.
  • Estimated that these clouds cover approximately 9% of Titan's disk.

Conclusions:

  • The presence of methane clouds supports a dynamic methane cycle on Titan.
  • These findings help reconcile previous, seemingly contradictory observations of Titan's atmosphere.
  • Near-infrared spectroscopy is effective for probing Titan's haze-obscured lower atmosphere.