Signatures of wave erosion in Titan’s coasts
June 19, 2024
The shorelines of Titan’s hydrocarbon seas trace flooded erosional landforms such as river valleys; however, it is unclear whether coastal erosion has subsequently altered these shorelines. Spacecraft observations and theoretical models suggest that wind may cause waves to form on Titan’s seas, potentially driving coastal erosion, but the observational evidence of waves is indirect, and the processes affecting shoreline evolution on Titan remain unknown. No widely accepted framework exists for using shoreline morphology to quantitatively discern coastal erosion mechanisms, even on Earth, where the dominant mechanisms are known. We combine landscape evolution models with measurements of shoreline shape on Earth to characterize how different coastal erosion mechanisms affect shoreline morphology. Applying this framework to Titan, we find that the shorelines of Titan’s seas are most consistent with flooded landscapes that subsequently have been eroded by waves, rather than a uniform erosional process or no coastal erosion, particularly if wave growth saturates at fetch lengths of tens of kilometers.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2024 |
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Title | Signatures of wave erosion in Titan’s coasts |
DOI | 10.1126/sciadv.adn4192 |
Authors | Rose Elizabeth Palermo, Andrew D. Ashton, Jason M. Soderblom, Samuel P. D. Birch, Alexander G. Hayes, J. Taylor Perron |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Science Advances |
Index ID | 70255535 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center |