title: The evolution of Titan's mid-latitude clouds.
abstract: Spectra from Cassini's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer reveal that the horizontal structure, height, and optical depth of Titan's clouds are highly dynamic. Vigorous cloud centers are seen to rise from the middle to the upper troposphere within 30 minutes and dissipate within the next hour. Their development indicates that Titan's clouds evolve convectively; dissipate through rain; and, over the next several hours, waft downwind to achieve their great longitude extents. These and other characteristics suggest that temperate clouds originate from circulation-induced convergence, in addition to a forcing at the surface associated with Saturn's tides, geology, and/or surface composition.
authors.affiliation: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Penteado
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Baines
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Drossart
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bellucci
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bibring
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Buratti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capaccioni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cerroni
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Combes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coradini
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cruikshank
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Formisano
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jaumann
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Langevin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Matson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McCord
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mennella
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sicardy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sotin
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Soderblom
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kursinski
mesh_terms: D001272:Atmosphere; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D008697:Methane; D018539:Saturn; D018531:Spacecraft; D013057:Spectrum Analysis
chemical_list: D008697:Methane