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[2] |
| Mouth | Ontario Lacus |
| Length | >360 km [1] |
| Width | |
| • maximum | ~700 m [1] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 10–2,000 m3/s (estimated 2023) [1] |
| 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.[1] 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.[1] 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.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Birch, Samuel P. D.; Parker, Gary; Corlies, Paul; Soderblom, Jason M.; Miller, Julia W.; Palermo, Rose V.; Lora, Juan M.; Ashton, Andrew D.; Hayes, Alexander G.; Perron, J. Taylor (18 July 2023). "Reconstructing river flows remotely on Earth, Titan, and Mars". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 120 (29) e2206837120. doi:10.1073/pnas.2206837120.
- ^ 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.; MacKenzie, S.M.; Malaska, M.J.; Wood, C.A. (December 2017). "Morphological evidence that Titan's southern hemisphere basins are paleoseas". Icarus. 310: 140–148. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2017.12.016.
- ^ a b Dhingra, Rajani D.; Barnes, Jason W.; Yanites, Brian J.; Kirk, Randolph L. (2018-01-01). "Large catchment area recharges Titan's Ontario Lacus". Icarus. 299: 331–338. Bibcode:2018Icar..299..331D. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2017.08.009. ISSN 0019-1035.
- ^ Wall, Steve; Hayes, Alexander Gerard; Bristow, Charles S.; Lorenz, R.; Stofan, Ellen R.; Lunine, J.; Le Gall, A.; Janssen, M. A.; Lopes, Rosaly M.; Wye, Lauren; Soderblom, L.; Paillou, Philippe; Aharonson, Oded; Zebker, H.; Farr, Tom G.; Mitri, Guiseppe; Kirk, Rhona; Mitchell, Karl Leon; Notarnicola, C.; Casarano, D.; Ventura, B. (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.
