Saturn Moon Has Ice Volcano—And Maybe Life?

Saturn Moon Has Ice Volcano—And Maybe Life?: "Saturn's moon Titan has long been suspected of sporting ice volcanoes. Now NASA pictures appear to confirm at least one huge, dormant 'cryovolcano'—and perhaps more.


If the evidence bears out, it might represent the best evidence yet that life could exist on Saturn's biggest satellite.

(Also see 'Saturn's Largest Moon Has Ingredients for Life?')

Not unlike the volcanoes of Hawaii, the supposed ice volcano, known as Sotra Facula, rises 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) above the surrounding plain in a large, gently shaped dome, according to the mountain's discoverer, geophysicist Randolph Kirk.

The feature had previously been seen as a circular bright spot, nicknamed 'The Rose,' in radar and infrared pictures of Titan taken by NASA-ESA's Cassini probe.

But it wasn't until Cassini passed over the site a second time that scientists realized Sotra Facula is a circular mountain 40 miles (70 kilometers) across."