Isbanir Fossa

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Voyager 2 view of Isbanir Fossa (dark lineament running from top center toward lower right)
Voyager 2 view of Isbanir Fossa (dark lineament running from top center toward lower right)

Isbanir Fossa is a north-south trending scarp on Saturn's moon Enceladus. Isbanir Fossa was first seen in Voyager 2 images, though a small section was see at much higher resolution by Cassini. It is centered at 12.6° North Latitude, 354.0° West Longitude and is approximately 132 kilometers long. Based on photoclinometric analysis of Voyager 2 images (using topographic shading in an image to determine slope), like the one at right, Isbanir Fossa was determined to be a 300-meter tall, west-dipping scarp (Kargel and Pozio 1996). Two sets of troughs can be seen running perpendicular to Isbanir Fossa, like Daryabar Fossa. These troughs appear to be right-laterally offset 15-20 km east and west of Isbanir Fossa, suggesting that the scarp maybe a strike-slip fault or even a transform fault with troughs like Daryabar Fossa respresenting spreading centers (Rothery 1999).

Isbanir Fossa is named after the home of Fakir Taj from Arabian Nights.


[edit] References

  • Jeff Kargel and Stefania Poxio (1996). "The Volcanic and Tectonic History of Enceladus". Icarus 119: 385–404. doi:10.1006/icar.1996.0026. 
  • Rothery, David A. (1999). Satellites of the Outer Planets: Worlds in their own right. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-512555-X.