The Greenhouse and Antigreenhouse Effects on Titan
Abstract
There are many parallels between the atmospheric thermal structure of the Saturnian satellite Titan and the terrestrial greenhouse effect; these parallels provide a comparison for theories of the heat balance of Earth. Titan's atmosphere has a greenhouse effect caused primarily by pressure-induced opacity of N 2 , CH 4 , and H 2 . H 2 is a key absorber because it is primarily responsible for the absorption in the wave number 400 to 600 cm -1 "window" region of Titan's infrared spectrum. The concentration of CH 4 , also an important absorber, is set by the saturation vapor pressure and hence is dependent on temperature. In this respect there is a similarity between the role of H 2 and CH 4 on Titan and that of CO 2 and H 2 O on Earth. Titan also has an antigreenhouse effect that results from the presence of a high-altitude haze layer that is absorbing at solar wavelengths but transparent in the thermal infrared. The antigreenhouse effect on Titan reduces the surface temperature by 9 K whereas the greenhouse effect increases it by 21 K. The net effect is that the surface temperature (94 K) is 12 K warmer than the effective temperature (82 K). If the haze layer were removed, the antigreenhouse effect would be greatly reduced, the greenhouse effect would become even stronger, and the surface temperature would rise by over 20 K.
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Too much CH4 relative to CO2 would create the high-altitude organic haze, which may cool Earth by up to ~20 K by absorbing incoming solar radiation and radiating energy back to space in a so-called anti-greenhouse effect.
“However, too much CH4 relative to CO2 would create the high-altitude organic haze mentioned earlier, which may cool Earth by up to ~20 K (1, 215) by absorbing incoming solar radiation and radiating energy back to space in a so-called “anti-greenhouse effect” (216).”
From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [216]
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Lapôtre, M. G. A., O'Rourke, J. G., Schaefer, L., Siebach, K. L., Spalding, C., Tikoo-Schantz, S. M., & Wordsworth, R. (2020) · Nature Reviews Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43017-020-0029-y · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Production of hydrocarbons and nitriles by electrical processes in Titan's atmosphere
Navarro-González, R., Ramírez, S. I., de la Rosa, J. G., Coll, P., & Raulin, F. (2001) · Advances in Space Research · doi:10.1016/s0273-1177(01)00057-6 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Lightning activity on Titan: can Cassini detect it?
Lammer, H., Tokano, T., Fischer, G., Stumptner, W., Molina‐Cuberos, G. J., Schwingenschuh, K., & Rucker, H. O. (2001) · Planetary and Space Science · doi:10.1016/s0032-0633(00)00171-9 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
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Volatile Origin and Cycles: Nitrogen and Methane
Atreya, S. K., Lorenz, R. D., & Waite, J. H. (2009) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-9215-2_7 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Titan’s past and future: 3D modeling of a pure nitrogen atmosphere and geological implications
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Experimental constraints on the composition and dynamics of Titan's polar lakes
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Latitudinal variations in Titan’s methane and haze from Cassini VIMS observations
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Ice, Fire, or Fizzle: The Climate Footprint of Earth's Supercontinental Cycles
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Titan under a red dwarf star and as a rogue planet: requirements for liquid methane
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Self-citationThe surface energy balance at the Huygens landing site and the moist surface conditions on Titan
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The global energy balance of Titan
Li, L., Nixon, C. A., Achterberg, R. K., Smith, M. A., Gorius, N., Jiang, X., Conrath, B. J., Gierasch, P. J., Simon, A. A., Flasar, F. M., et al. (2011) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2011gl050053 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
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Titan and habitable planets around M-dwarfs
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Katyal, N., Nikolaou, A., Godolt, M., Grenfell, J. L., Tosi, N., Schreier, F., & Rauer, H. (2019) · The Astrophysical Journal · doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab0d85 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
- Authors
- McKay, C. P., Pollack, J. B., & Courtin, R.
- Affiliations
- Ames Research Center (US)
- Observatoire de Paris (FR)
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 1991-09-06
- Volume
- 253
- Issue
- 5024
- Pages
- 1118-1121
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W1487362804
- Cited by
- 206
- References
- 15
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 1.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- NASA Technical Reports Server (NASA)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Keywords
- Titan, greenhouse effect, atmospheric temperature structure, surface temperature, effective temperature, atmospheric haze, hydrogen absorption, methane absorption, heat balance, Saturnian satellites
- MeSH terms
- Atmosphere, Extraterrestrial Environment, Hydrogen, Methane, Models, Theoretical, Nitrogen, Photolysis, Spectrum Analysis, Temperature, Solar System, Greenhouse Effect, Earth, Planet, Saturn
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