Project description
New climate models to explore Titan
It rains methane on Saturn’s moon Titan. While this is due to the cryogenic temperatures, cloud localisations and precipitation events (discovered by recent missions) are still not well understood. To fill this knowledge gap, scientists are developing climate models, but they are currently missing crucial physical descriptions (especially air–surface interactions). In this context, the EU-funded TLALOC project is bringing together experts from Europe and the United States to develop a next-generation global model of Titan to explore the influence of lakes and wetlands as well as seasonal effects and methane storm impacts. Upon completion, the project will deliver the first advanced model able to reproduce Titan’s hydrological cycle and interpret observations of clouds and rain events.
Objective
Saturn’s moon Titan is the only world in the Solar System besides Earth where rains reach the surface. Due to the cryogenic temperatures, these rains are not made of water but of methane. It accumulates in polar lakes and mud terrains, which seasonally evaporate, producing a methane hydrological cycle. Cloud localisations and precipitation events unveiled by recent missions are still not well understood. Climate models would help this endeavor, but they are currently missing crucial physical descriptions (especially air-surface interactions).
The T’LALOC project aims to solve Titan’s complex methane cycle by developing a model to address the currently open key questions: (Q1) the influence of lakes and wetlands; (Q2) seasonal effects; and, (Q3) methane storm impacts. We will obtain an unprecedented next-generation Titan global climate model by incorporating and improving building blocks from three existing regional models developed at SwRI, LMD and UPV/EHU. Each of these models individually specializes in one of the issues above (Q1-2-3). Upon completion we will obtain the first advanced model able to reproduce the hydrological cycle and interpret observations of clouds and rain events. The project will start at a strategic timing: close to the end of the Cassini-Huygens mission (2004-2017), at the first light of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST, 2022), during the preparation of the Dragonfly mission (launch in 2026) and at the definition of a future EU mission. The large set of data by Cassini and the new data by JWST have to be exploited in urgency to improve our current atmospheric models and to be able to simulate weather conditions at the surface, which impacts the Dragonfly rotorcraft operations and science return. This project brings together world leaders in Titan climate modelling from the US and EU, sows the seeds for collaboration on future missions to Titan, and positions the fellow and the host EU teams as references in Titan climate modelling.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyplanetary sciencesnatural satellites
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraftrotorcraft
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryaliphatic compounds
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyobservational astronomy
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
48940 Leioa
Spain