Titan's transport-driven methane cycle

TL;DR

This paper proposes that Titan's methane cycle is much stronger than previously thought, driven by atmospheric heat transport indicated by radiative imbalance measurements, leading to more cloud formation and precipitation.

Contribution

It introduces a new method linking radiative imbalance to atmospheric heat transport, suggesting Titan's methane cycle is 10-20 times stronger than prior estimates.

Findings

Radiative imbalance implies significant latitudinal heat transport.

Climate simulations show substantial cloud formation and precipitation.

Methane cycle strength could be 10-20 times previous estimates.

Abstract

The strength of Titan's methane cycle, as measured by precipitation and evaporation, is key to interpreting fluvial erosion and other indicators of the surface-atmosphere exchange of liquids. But the mechanisms behind the occurrence of large cloud outbursts and precipitation on Titan have been disputed. A gobal- and annual-mean estimate of surface fluxes indicated only 1% of the insolation, or $\sim$0.04 W/m$^2$, is exchanged as sensible and/or latent fluxes. Since these fluxes are responsible for driving atmospheric convection, it has been argued that moist convection should be quite rare and precipitation even rarer, even if evaporation globally dominates the surface-atmosphere energy exchange. In contrast, climate simulations that allow atmospheric motion indicate a robust methane cycle with substantial cloud formation and/or precipitation. We argue the top-of-atmosphere radiative imbalance -- a readily observable quantity -- is diagnostic of horizontal heat transport by Titan's atmosphere, and thus constrains the strength of the methane cycle. Simple calculations show the top-of-atmosphere radiative imbalance is $\sim$0.5-1 W/m$^2$ in Titan's equatorial region, which implies 2-3 MW of latitudinal heat transport by the atmosphere. Our simulation of Titan's climate suggests this transport may occur primarily as latent heat, with net evaporation at the equator and net accumulation at higher latitudes. Thus the methane cycle could be 10-20 times previous estimates. Opposing seasonal transport at solstices, compensation by sensible heat transport, and focusing of precipitation by large-scale dynamics could further enhance the local, instantaneous strength of Titan's methane cycle by a factor of several.