[extropy-chat] Mars and Titan

[Amara Graps]

Mike Lorrey
>The atmosphere is methane, the oceans are methane, and the surface of
>titan is methane. THe atmosphere is a thermal result of tectonic stress
>caused by Saturnian tidal influence.

The solar system isn't that simple, especially where planetary
atmospheres are concerned.

The gas-rich ice from which Titan formed, condensed at low
temperatures in the Saturn nebula. During the accretion of the moon,
heat was generated that could be, and probably was, liberated,
leading to the 'primary' atmosphere. In addition impacting comets
originating outside the Saturn sub-nebula could contribute volatiles
(note that the probability of this is far less likely for Mars)
Additional thermal heat in the rocky part of the moon was/is
generated by by isotopes that are transformed by radioactive decay
into stable isotopes. This process is the same as the melting and
differentiation of the Earth, and how Titan formed a core of dense
rocky material, surrounded by a mantle of ice. Titan's atmosphere is
secondary, outgassed from the volatile elements in the interior.

Amara

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Amara Graps, PhD          email: amara at amara.com
Computational Physics     vita:  ftp://ftp.amara.com/pub/resume.txt
Multiplex Answers         URL:   http://www.amara.com/
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"Sipping coffee on a sunbaked terrace can be surprisingly productive."
  ---Michael Metcalf [on the origin of NUMERICAL RECIPES IN FORTRAN 90]