Lakes and rivers of Titan

Lakes, seas, and river channels on Saturn’s moon Titan contain or have been carved by liquid hydrocarbons, chiefly methane and ethane. They form part of a weather and drainage cycle unlike Earth’s water cycle.

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Methane cycle on Titan: The circulation of methane among Titan’s atmosphere, surface, and subsurface reservoirs. Rainfall and evaporation continually replenish and drain the surface bodies.
Ligeia Mare: A large methane-and-ethane sea near Titan’s north pole. Its radar observations reveal shorelines, channels, and changing surface features.
Titan: Saturn’s largest moon, with a dense nitrogen atmosphere and a surface shaped by methane weather. Its cold climate and atmospheric pressure allow methane and ethane to remain liquid at the surface.
Magic islands (Titan): Transient radar-bright features observed on Ligeia Mare, potentially caused by waves, bubbles, or floating solids. Their changing appearance raises questions about processes within Titan’s seas.
Titanian rainfall: Precipitation on Titan, mainly liquid methane, produced by atmospheric weather systems. Rain feeds channels and lakes, and can trigger floods across Titan’s surface.
Kraken Mare: Titan’s largest known sea, located in the northern polar region. Its scale makes it a defining example of Titan’s liquid-hydrocarbon seas.
Methane on Titan: A volatile hydrocarbon present in Titan’s atmosphere, rainfall, lakes, and seas. Methane is the principal working fluid in Titan’s surface drainage cycle.
Titan lake levels: The changing heights and shorelines of Titan’s surface liquid bodies. Sparse observations limit understanding of seasonal replenishment and long-term drainage.
Fluvial landforms on Titan: Channels, valleys, and other Titan surface features formed or modified by flowing liquid. Their shapes record how hydrocarbon flows eroded Titan’s terrain.
Ontario Lacus: A large hydrocarbon lake near Titan’s south pole. It provides a southern-polar comparison to the more extensive northern seas.