Earth:Saraswati Flumen
| Saraswati Flumen | |
|---|---|
Synthetic aperture radar image from Cassini of Saraswati Flumen and its wave-modified delta draining into Ontario Lacus | |
| Etymology | From the Saraswati River from the Hindu Vedas |
| Location | |
| Moon | Titan |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Near the perimeter of Romo Planitia[1] |
| Mouth | Ontario Lacus |
| Length | >360 km [2] |
| Width | |
| • maximum | ~700 m [2] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 10–2,000 m3/s (estimated 2023) [2] |
| Basin features | |
| Discoverer | Cassini |
Saraswati Flumen is a river system (termed Flumen) of liquid methane and ethane on Saturn's moon Titan. It flows for 360 km before discharging into Ontario Lacus near Titan's south pole in a river delta on the lake's western shore. Its bankfull discharge is estimated to be 40–50,000 m3/s but its regular flow is estimated to be 10–2,000 m3/s.[2] Compared to Karesos Flumen and Hubur Flumen, the two other major rivers that drain into the Ontario Lacus which both originate in mountains, the Saraswati Flumen has a much flatter gradient.[3] The Saraswati Flumen is unlike most rivers on Titan including the more well known Vid Flumina in that it has a river delta. Furthermore, its delta is double-lobed, suggesting that the river switched courses over tens to hundreds of thousands of years to build both lobes.[2] The main lobe is around 97 km2 in area while the secondary lobe is around 50 km2.[4] It is hypothesized to be a suspended load-dominated river.[2]
References
- ↑ Birch, Samuel P.D.; Hayes, Alexander Gerard; Corlies, Paul; Stofan, E.R.; Hofgartner, Jason D.; Lopes, R.M.C.; Lorenz, R.D.; Lunine, J.I. et al. (December 2017). "Morphological evidence that Titan’s southern hemisphere basins are paleoseas". Icarus 310: 140–148. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2017.12.016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Birch, Samuel P. D.; Parker, Gary; Corlies, Paul; Soderblom, Jason M.; Miller, Julia W.; Palermo, Rose V.; Lora, Juan M.; Ashton, Andrew D. et al. (18 July 2023). "Reconstructing river flows remotely on Earth, Titan, and Mars". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120 (29). doi:10.1073/pnas.2206837120. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2206837120.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dhingra, Rajani D.; Barnes, Jason W.; Yanites, Brian J.; Kirk, Randolph L. (2018-01-01). "Large catchment area recharges Titan's Ontario Lacus" (in en). Icarus 299: 331–338. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2017.08.009. ISSN 0019-1035. Bibcode: 2018Icar..299..331D.
- ↑ Wall, Steve; Hayes, Alexander Gerard; Bristow, Charles S.; Lorenz, R.; Stofan, Ellen R.; Lunine, J.; Le Gall, A.; Janssen, M. A. et al. (March 2010). "Active shoreline of Ontario Lacus, Titan: A morphological study of the lake and its surroundings". Geophysical Research Letters 37 (5). doi:10.1029/2009GL041821. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/42635374_Active_shoreline_of_Ontario_Lacus_Titan_A_morphological_study_of_the_lake_and_its_surroundings.
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