Cassini's geological and compositional view of Tethys

Katrin Stephan; Roland Wagner; Ralf Jaumann; Roger N. Clark; Dale P. Cruikshank; Robert H. Brown; Bernd Giese; Thomas Roatsch; Gianrico Filacchione; Dennis Matson; Cristina Dalle Ore; Fabrizio Capaccioni; Kevin H. Baines; Sebastien Rodriguez; Norbert Krupp; Bonnie J. Buratti; Phil D. Nicholson

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2016.03.002

Cassini's geological and compositional view of Tethys

Katrin Stephan, Roland Wagner, Ralf Jaumann, Roger N. Clark, Dale P. Cruikshank, Robert H. Brown, Bernd Giese, Thomas Roatsch, Gianrico Filacchione, Dennis Matson, Cristina Dalle Ore, Fabrizio Capaccioni, Kevin H. Baines, Sebastien Rodriguez, Norbert Krupp, Bonnie J. Buratti, Phil D. Nicholson

Lunar and Planetary Lab

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Saturnian satellite Tethys exhibits geological and spectral properties, whose appearance, nature and spatial distribution partly mirror those identified on the neighboring satellites Dione and Rhea or fit to the picture how spectral surface properties are expected to change from one satellite to the other within the inner Saturnian system. However, we also identified spectral variations that are unique in the Saturnian system. Whereas geologically young surface features are characterized by pure H₂O-ice composition with relatively large particles, which match the particle sizes measured for fresh surface features also on Dione and Rhea, geologically old weathered regions are dominated by submicron-sized ice particles. Our investigations confirm that the Odysseus impact event did not cause the formation of Tethys' extended graben system Ithaca Chasma. On the contrary, Odysseus might be responsible for the N-S trending 'icy' bands that mark Tethys' surface in the center of its leading and trailing hemisphere.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1-22
Number of pages	22
Journal	Icarus
Volume	274
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.03.002
State	Published - Aug 1 2016

Keywords

Geological processes
IR spectroscopy
Ices
Satellites surfaces
Saturn

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1016/j.icarus.2016.03.002

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title = "Cassini's geological and compositional view of Tethys",

abstract = "The Saturnian satellite Tethys exhibits geological and spectral properties, whose appearance, nature and spatial distribution partly mirror those identified on the neighboring satellites Dione and Rhea or fit to the picture how spectral surface properties are expected to change from one satellite to the other within the inner Saturnian system. However, we also identified spectral variations that are unique in the Saturnian system. Whereas geologically young surface features are characterized by pure H2O-ice composition with relatively large particles, which match the particle sizes measured for fresh surface features also on Dione and Rhea, geologically old weathered regions are dominated by submicron-sized ice particles. Our investigations confirm that the Odysseus impact event did not cause the formation of Tethys' extended graben system Ithaca Chasma. On the contrary, Odysseus might be responsible for the N-S trending 'icy' bands that mark Tethys' surface in the center of its leading and trailing hemisphere.",

keywords = "Geological processes, IR spectroscopy, Ices, Satellites surfaces, Saturn",

author = "Katrin Stephan and Roland Wagner and Ralf Jaumann and Clark, {Roger N.} and Cruikshank, {Dale P.} and Brown, {Robert H.} and Bernd Giese and Thomas Roatsch and Gianrico Filacchione and Dennis Matson and Ore, {Cristina Dalle} and Fabrizio Capaccioni and Baines, {Kevin H.} and Sebastien Rodriguez and Norbert Krupp and Buratti, {Bonnie J.} and Nicholson, {Phil D.}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.icarus.2016.03.002",

language = "English (US)",

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AU - Stephan, Katrin

AU - Wagner, Roland

AU - Jaumann, Ralf

AU - Clark, Roger N.

AU - Cruikshank, Dale P.

AU - Brown, Robert H.

AU - Giese, Bernd

AU - Roatsch, Thomas

AU - Filacchione, Gianrico

AU - Matson, Dennis

AU - Ore, Cristina Dalle

AU - Capaccioni, Fabrizio

AU - Baines, Kevin H.

AU - Rodriguez, Sebastien

AU - Krupp, Norbert

AU - Buratti, Bonnie J.

AU - Nicholson, Phil D.

PY - 2016/8/1

Y1 - 2016/8/1

N2 - The Saturnian satellite Tethys exhibits geological and spectral properties, whose appearance, nature and spatial distribution partly mirror those identified on the neighboring satellites Dione and Rhea or fit to the picture how spectral surface properties are expected to change from one satellite to the other within the inner Saturnian system. However, we also identified spectral variations that are unique in the Saturnian system. Whereas geologically young surface features are characterized by pure H2O-ice composition with relatively large particles, which match the particle sizes measured for fresh surface features also on Dione and Rhea, geologically old weathered regions are dominated by submicron-sized ice particles. Our investigations confirm that the Odysseus impact event did not cause the formation of Tethys' extended graben system Ithaca Chasma. On the contrary, Odysseus might be responsible for the N-S trending 'icy' bands that mark Tethys' surface in the center of its leading and trailing hemisphere.

AB - The Saturnian satellite Tethys exhibits geological and spectral properties, whose appearance, nature and spatial distribution partly mirror those identified on the neighboring satellites Dione and Rhea or fit to the picture how spectral surface properties are expected to change from one satellite to the other within the inner Saturnian system. However, we also identified spectral variations that are unique in the Saturnian system. Whereas geologically young surface features are characterized by pure H2O-ice composition with relatively large particles, which match the particle sizes measured for fresh surface features also on Dione and Rhea, geologically old weathered regions are dominated by submicron-sized ice particles. Our investigations confirm that the Odysseus impact event did not cause the formation of Tethys' extended graben system Ithaca Chasma. On the contrary, Odysseus might be responsible for the N-S trending 'icy' bands that mark Tethys' surface in the center of its leading and trailing hemisphere.

KW - Geological processes

KW - IR spectroscopy

KW - Ices

KW - Satellites surfaces

KW - Saturn

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Cassini's geological and compositional view of Tethys

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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