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Mountain (Titan)

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Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms

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Definition

“Elevated blocks and ridge-forming block chains” on Titan (Radebaugh et al. 2007).

Synonyms

Mountain chain (Titan); Mountain range; Ridge

Description

The features are radar-bright in texture as seen by Cassini’s Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) of relatively high topography that refers to as mountains. Mountains form isolated blocks or ranges within flat, low-lying plains, except for Xanadu (Radebaugh et al. 2007). Mountain blocks are surrounded by SAR-bright aureoles (Radebaugh et al. 2011). Some mountain channels end abruptly at mountain foots.

Morphometry

Highest relief on Titan 2 km (Radebaugh et al. 2007). Mountain blocks are about 50 km across in Xanadu (Radebaugh et al. 2011).

Subtypes

Mountain classification scheme (Radebaugh et al. 2008):

  1. (1)

    Radar-bright and isolated peaks in high contrast to surrounding terrain

  2. (2)

    Radar-bright, high, elongated mountain ranges

  3. (3)

    Homogenous, nondescript radar-bright features with no or low slopes or peaks

    ...

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References

  • Langhans MH, Jaumann R, Stephan K et al (2012) Titan’s fluvial valleys: morphology, distribution, and spectral properties. Planetary Space Sci 60:34–51

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  • Lopes RMC et al (2010) Distribution and interplay of geologic processes on Titan from Cassini radar data. Icarus 205(2):540–558

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Zac Yung-Chun Liu

  2. Planetary Science Research Group, Department of Physical Geography, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. st 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary

    Henrik Hargitai

Authors
  1. Zac Yung-Chun Liu
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  2. Henrik Hargitai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zac Yung-Chun Liu .

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Liu, Z.YC., Hargitai, H. (2014). Mountain (Titan). In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_508-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_508-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9213-9

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