Titan: Thar's Oil in That Thar Moon

collarian · 15-02-08, 12:03

Worried about Earth running out of natural gas? Scientists have found a place that makes Earth's supplies look like drop in a bucket.

The only problem is the reservoirs are located about 750 million miles away on Saturn's moon Titan.

"It's really just kind of a fun fact," planetary scientist Ralph Lorenz with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory told Discovery News.

Lorenz and colleagues calculated the amount of liquid hydrocarbons on Titan using radar data gathered from the orbiting Cassini spacecraft. With about 20 percent of the moon mapped, scientists have found several hundred lakes and seas dotting Titan's surface.

Extrapolating from lake depths on Earth, the researchers estimate several of the lakes on Titan each contain more than the total amount of natural gas on Earth, estimated to be about 130 billion tons. That means the orange moon has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth.

While it may be implausible to tap Titan's reserves, the research has implications for understanding Earth in its primordial stages since it likely resembled Titan.

One puzzle scientists are trying to figure out is why Titan has so much methane in its atmosphere. The gas breaks down in ultraviolet light from the sun, leading scientists to wonder how methane is being resupplied into the moon's atmosphere.

Lorenz' study, which was published in the Jan. 29 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, shows there is not enough sources of methane on the ground to account for the atmospheric levels.

That leaves two options: a subterranean source exists that is periodically tapped by volcanic eruption, for example; or Titan is undergoing or has undergone a relatively short-lived phenomenon that triggered a methane release.

Based on calculations, Titan's methane supplies should have lasted only 10 million years, Lorenz said.

"There isn't a large, exposed supply," Lorenz said.

Scientists are on the lookout for plumes from an erupting volcano that may be spotted by Cassini during upcoming passes by Titan, including one scheduled for Feb. 22. Cassini is scheduled to sail over an area with possible volcanic features called Hotei Arcus.

Ideally, scientists would like follow-up studies to probe Titan with ground-penetrating radar and instruments to analyze the chemical history of the moon's atmospheric methane.

"Understanding how far along the chain of complexity toward life that chemistry can go in an environment like Titan will be important in understanding the origins of life throughout the universe," Lorenz said.

"What we have learned in three and a half years of Titan exploration (with Cassini) is that Titan is giving up its secrets rather grudgingly," he added. "We're only getting one little secret at a time."

15-02-08, 12:03	#1 (permalink)
collarian Neptune Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mars Posts: 6,867 Credits: 7,714 Thanks: 1,809 Thanked 2,516 Times in 981 Posts	Titan: Thar's Oil in That Thar Moon Worried about Earth running out of natural gas? Scientists have found a place that makes Earth's supplies look like drop in a bucket. The only problem is the reservoirs are located about 750 million miles away on Saturn's moon Titan. "It's really just kind of a fun fact," planetary scientist Ralph Lorenz with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory told Discovery News. Lorenz and colleagues calculated the amount of liquid hydrocarbons on Titan using radar data gathered from the orbiting Cassini spacecraft. With about 20 percent of the moon mapped, scientists have found several hundred lakes and seas dotting Titan's surface. Extrapolating from lake depths on Earth, the researchers estimate several of the lakes on Titan each contain more than the total amount of natural gas on Earth, estimated to be about 130 billion tons. That means the orange moon has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth. While it may be implausible to tap Titan's reserves, the research has implications for understanding Earth in its primordial stages since it likely resembled Titan. One puzzle scientists are trying to figure out is why Titan has so much methane in its atmosphere. The gas breaks down in ultraviolet light from the sun, leading scientists to wonder how methane is being resupplied into the moon's atmosphere. Lorenz' study, which was published in the Jan. 29 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, shows there is not enough sources of methane on the ground to account for the atmospheric levels. That leaves two options: a subterranean source exists that is periodically tapped by volcanic eruption, for example; or Titan is undergoing or has undergone a relatively short-lived phenomenon that triggered a methane release. Based on calculations, Titan's methane supplies should have lasted only 10 million years, Lorenz said. "There isn't a large, exposed supply," Lorenz said. Scientists are on the lookout for plumes from an erupting volcano that may be spotted by Cassini during upcoming passes by Titan, including one scheduled for Feb. 22. Cassini is scheduled to sail over an area with possible volcanic features called Hotei Arcus. Ideally, scientists would like follow-up studies to probe Titan with ground-penetrating radar and instruments to analyze the chemical history of the moon's atmospheric methane. "Understanding how far along the chain of complexity toward life that chemistry can go in an environment like Titan will be important in understanding the origins of life throughout the universe," Lorenz said. "What we have learned in three and a half years of Titan exploration (with Cassini) is that Titan is giving up its secrets rather grudgingly," he added. "We're only getting one little secret at a time." __________________

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