BYU Geology Professor Explores Saturn’s Moons In The Outback

Jani Radebaugh, a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, got more than she bargained for during her recent trip Down Under.

Radebaugh was presented with the opportunity while attending a conference on land surface geomorphology in Melbourne, Australia. The Outback trip presented the BYU professor with a unique opportunity to make observations linked to her research topic: the surface of Titan, one of Saturn’s two moons.

Much of Titan’s surface is covered with large sand dunes. In order to study the development of Titan and hopefully detect similarities to the development of Earth, Radebaugh and her colleagues often study certain geological features contained by both. These large dunes are one such similarity.

The dunes on Titan are what Radebaugh calls “linear dunes,” due to their elongated form. Most linear dunes are approximately one kilometer wide and can be more than 160 kilometers long. Formed by unique wind patterns, the dunes are uncommon on Earth’s surface, with the Australian Outback providing one of the highest concentrations of linear dunes on the planet.

Radebaugh and her colleagues hoped to learn more about the formation of linear dunes on Titan’s surface by observing their earthly counterparts.

“We really wanted to observe the dunes and see how they formed so we could learn more about geological activity on Titan,” she said. “We were able to see a lot of things, including what happens to the dunes when they come in contact with mountains.”

According to the group’s observations, the dunes either petered out as they reached mountains or split to move around the obstruction. Radebaugh also noted that the majority of the dunes seemed to be inactive, meaning they were not currently moving.

However, she said that was not the case for all the Outback’s linear dunes.

“Some parts of the dunes were still active,” Radebaugh said. “There was movement on the tops of the dunes, meaning the winds are still active and moving the sand.”

Radebaugh said the observation of dunes, both on Earth and on Titan, helps researchers learn more about the surrounding atmosphere. For example, by studying the linear dunes on Titan, geologists can tell which way the winds blew to form them and thus indentify wind patterns on the moon.

“Learning about how these things formed on Titan can allow us to begin to draw conclusions about how similar forms developed on Earth,” she said. “We can learn more about our own planet by studying the developments on Titan’s surface.”

--by Steve Pierce, College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences