Emily Chan
Methane clathrate, also known as methane hydrate, is a solid compound with a high amount of methane trapped within water, producing a substance that is similar to ice.
The researchers compared the craters on Titan to similar craters on Ganymede to determine possible depths of crater impacts on Titan.
“Using this modeling approach, we were able to constrain the methane clathrate crust thickness to [about three to six miles] because simulations using that thickness produced crater depths that best matched the observed craters,” Schurmeier said.
“The methane clathrate crust warms Titan’s interior and causes surprisingly rapid topographic relaxation, which results in crater shallowing at a rate that is close to that of fast-moving warm glaciers on Earth.”
The methane clathrate crust’s thickness suggests that Titan’s interior is most likely warm and flexible instead of cold and rigid as previously believed.
The warmer environment means there could be signs of life just waiting to be discovered. The team’s research was published in The Planetary Science Journal.
