Saturn, which ranks sixth among the planets with its proximity to the Sun, draws attention with its moon Titan. Titan, one of Saturn’s largest moons, reminds us of Earth with its landscapes. When we look at both lakes and rivers, it is obvious that Saturn resembles our planet in many ways.
However, it should be underlined that the formations on Saturn are made of different geological materials. For example, it was previously explained that the water flowing from the rivers is replaced by liquid methane, and the winds blowing on the sand dunes are actually hydrocarbons. How the Earth-like landscapes were formed with different components also caused a question mark in the minds of scientists for many years.
So what do experts say about Titan’s resemblance to Earth?
Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, was very curious due to its similarity to Earth. Curious questions about the subject, which has been studied for a while, were answered. “Since Titan’s sediments are theorized to be made of solid organic compounds, they are much more fragile than silicate-based sediments found on Earth,” the scientists said. So the nitrogen wind and liquid methane are eroding Titan’s sediments to fine dust that cannot support such diverse structures.
Researchers investigated the ooid deposit found on Earth, which has a composition similar to Titan. Ooids can be found in tropical waters, where they form very fine grains by nature. The ooid, which simultaneously deposits material through chemical precipitation and erodes in the sea, maintains a consistent size as a result. Based on this component, the researchers also noted that a similar situation may occur on Titan.
Lapôtre, one of the researchers, said in a statement; “We hypothesized that sintering, which involves the fusing of neighboring grains together, can offset wear as winds carry the grains.” He used his expressions. In addition, experts discovered that winds are more common at the equator of the moon, which provides optimal conditions for the development of sand dunes. These winds erode hard rock, which is converted into finer sediments, as on Earth. The reason for the similarity emerges precisely in the process here.
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