Titan Fluvial GIS Mapping Project

Primary Authors

Devon M. Burr

Originators

Devon M. Burr, S.A. Drummond, R. Cartwright, B.A. Black, J.T. Perron

Publisher

USGS Astrogeology Science Center

Publication Date

2013-07-15

Abstract

Project Information: The Titan Fluvial GIS Mapping Project follows previous work by Barnes et al., 2007, Lorenz et al., 2008 & Burr et al., 2009, to map fluvial features on Titan. The Cassini Radio Detection and Ranging (RADAR) instrument data was developed to characterize surface morphology. Fluvial features are delineated as vector-based GIS poly lines. Three criteria were used in the delineations: (a) distinguishability in tone (bright or dark) from the surrounding terrain, (b) a bright/dark pairing consistent with illumination direction that is indicative of a trough, and (c) fluviatile morphology, i.e., having sinuous links and/or a branching pattern. Features of all levels of certainty (Burr et al., 2009; Figure 1, top) were included in the subsequent drainage pattern analysis (Burr et al., 2009; Figure 1, bottom). During this analysis, those features (reaches) of different certainty levels that formed individual links were aggregated into links in our ArcGIS files. For networks having fewer than 10 links, which were not analyzed, the features (reaches) were not aggregated. Mission and Instrument Information: The Cassini-Huygens mission was a joint endeavor between the Italian Space Agency, the European Space Agency (ESA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Cassini-Huygens mission launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida on October 15, 1997 and ended on September 15, 2017 when Cassini began its Final Entry into Saturn’s Atmosphere. The primary mission ran from July 2004 – June 2008, the first mission extension, Equinox, was from July 2008- October 2010 and was followed by a final extended mission, Solstice, from October 2010 – September 2017. References: Barnes, J. W., Radebaugh, J., Brown, R. H., Wall, S., Soderblom, L., Lunine, J., Burr, D., et al. (2007). Near-infrared spectral mapping of Titan’s mountains and channels. Journal of Geophysical Research, 112(11). https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JE002932 Burr, D. M., Jacobsen, R. E., Roth, D. L., Phillips, C. B., Mitchell, K. L., Viola, D. (2009). Fluvial network analysis on Titan: Evidence for subsurface structure and west-to-east wind flow, southwestern Xanadu. Geophysical Research Letters, 36(22). https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GL040909 Elachi, C., Wall, S., Allison, M., Anderson, Y., Boehmer, A. R., Callahan, P., Encrenaz, P., et al. (2005). Cassini Radar views the surface of Titan. Science, 308(5724), 970-974. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1109919 Lorenz, R. D., Lopes, R. M., Paganelli, F., Lunine, J. I., Kirk, R. L., Mitchell, K. L., Soderblom, L. A., Cassini RADAR Team, et al. (2008). Fluvial channels on Titan: Initial Cassini RADAR observations. Planetary and Space Science, 56(8), 1132-1144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2008.02.009

Purpose

Fluvial features for Titan delineated as vector-based GIS polylines

Contact and Distribution

Format

Remote-sensing Data, Vector Data

Access Constraints

None

Access Scope

MRCTR

Use Constraints

Please cite authors: Burr, D.M., S.A. Drummond, R. Cartwright, B.A. Black, and J.T. Perron, 2013, Morphology of fluvial networks on Titan, Icarus, doi. 10.1016/j.icarus.2013.06.016.

Edition

1

Supplemental Information

http://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0019103513002728

Native Data Set Environment

ESRI Arcinfo, ISIS v2

Astrogeology Theme

Geographic Information System (GIS), Hydrology, Remote Sensing

Mission Names

Cassini-Huygens

Instrument Names

SAR

Online Package Link

https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/titan_fluvial_gis_mapping_project

External File Size

343579320

Online File Link

http://astropedia.astrogeology.usgs.gov/download/Titan/Cassini/TitanFluvialMapping/TitanFluvialMapping_July2013.zip

Access Instructions

Requires GIS-compatible software to view vector files

Contact Address

2255 N. Gemini Drive

Contact City

Flagstaff

Contact State

AZ

Contact Postal Code

86001

Contact Email

astroweb@usgs.gov

Currentness Reference

Publication date

Progress

In Work

Update Frequency

As needed

Logical Consistency

Fluvial features were tagged on a best effort basis.

Completeness Report

Mapping was limited to image coverage. See included Cassini SAR mosaic for coverage.

Process Description

The fluvial features were delineated as vector-based polylines within ArcGIS 10.1 software using Cassini Titan Radar Mapper synthetic aperture radar (SAR) swaths (Elachi et al., 2005) from T0 through T71. Following previous work (Barnes et al. 2007, Lorenz et al. 2008, Burr et al. 2009), three criteria were used in the delineations: (a) distinguishability in tone (bright or dark) from the surrounding terrain, (b) a bright/dark pairing consistent with illumination direction that is indicative of a trough, and (c) fluviatile morphology, i.e., having sinuous links and/or a branching pattern.

Source Title

Cassini Titan Radar Mapper synthetic aperture radar (SAR) swaths (Elachi et al., 2005)

Source Online Linkage

{https://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/volumes/radar.html,http://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/portal/cassini_mission.html}

PDS Status

PDS 4 In Progress

Attribute Accuracy Report

Best Effort

Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report

Best Effort

Geospatial Information

Target

Titan

System

Saturn

Minimum Latitude

-90

Maximum Latitude

90

Minimum Longitude

-180

Maximum Longitude

180

Direct Spatial Reference Method

Vector

Object Type

Grid Cell

Point and Vector Object Count

4797

Quad Name

Radius A

2575000

Radius C

2575000

Control Net

preliminary

Map Projection Name

Simple Cylindrical

Latitude Type

Planetocentric

Longitude Direction

Positive East

Longitude Domain

-180 to 180