%0 Journal Article
%T Precipitation-induced surface brightenings seen on Titan by Cassini VIMS and ISS
%A Jason W Barnes
%A Bonnie J Buratti
%A Elizabeth P Turtle
%A Jacob Bow
%A Paul A Dalba
%A Jason Perry
%A Robert H Brown
%A Sebastien Rodriguez
%A Stephane Le Mouelic
%A Kevin H Baines
%A Christophe Sotin
%A Ralph D Lorenz
%A Michael J Malaska
%A Thomas B McCord
%A Roger N Clark
%A Ralf Jaumann
%A Paul O Hayne
%A Philip D Nicholson
%A Jason M Soderblom and Laurence A Soderblom
%J Planetary Science
%D 2013
%I 
%R 10.1186/2191-2521-2-1
%X Observations from Cassini VIMS and ISS show localized but extensive surface brightenings in the wake of the 2010 September cloudburst. Four separate areas, all at similar latitude, show similar changes: Yalaing Terra, Hetpet Regio, Concordia Regio, and Adiri. Our analysis shows a general pattern to the time-sequence of surface changes: after the cloudburst the areas darken for months, then brighten for a year before reverting to their original spectrum. From the rapid reversion timescale we infer that the process driving the brightening owes to a fine-grained solidified surface layer. The specific chemical composition of such solid layer remains unknown. Evaporative cooling of wetted terrain may play a role in the generation of the layer, or it may result from a physical grain-sorting process.
%U http://www.planetary-science.com/content/2/1/1/abstract