Scientists have discovered that the icy shell of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, could possess an insulated, six-mile-thick (9.7-kilometer-thick) layer of methane ice beneath its surface. Ironically, this layer may make signs of life from the subsurface ocean of Titan easier to detect. And, down the line, the discovery could benefit the fight against human-driven climate change on Earth.
Titan may be a moon, but it is also more similar to Earth than any other solar system planet. That’s because it is the only planet or moon in the solar system other than Earth to possess an atmosphere as well as liquid rivers, lakes and seas. Because of the frigid temperatures of Titan, however, this liquid is composed of hydrocarbons like methane and ethane. Still, the surface ice of Titan is indeed composed of water.
The new results from a team of planetary scientists at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa revealed that methane gas may also be trapped within Titan’s ice shell, forming a distinct crust up to six miles thick. This gas could warm the underlying ice shell and help molecules rise to the surface of Titan, some of which could indicate the presence of life. This warming may also help explain Titan’s methane-rich atmosphere.
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