Harran Sulci
Grooved terrain on Enceladus bounding Diyar Planitia.
On Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, lies a grooved region called Harran Sulci. Centered at 26.7° north latitude and 237.6° west longitude, this feature stretches roughly 276 kilometers. It forms the northern and eastern boundary of Diyar Planitia.
Early analysis by Kargel and Pozio (1996), using Voyager 2 images, described Harran Sulci as a series of winding "mountainous ridges" rising 1 to 1.5 kilometers high, situated in relatively low-lying areas. They proposed these ridges might be fold belts, akin to the Appalachian Mountains on Earth.
Later, higher-resolution images from the Cassini spacecraft revealed more detail. The feature shows a convex cross-section, with numerous ridges running along its length. Tall scarps separate Harran Sulci from the cratered terrain to the north and from Diyar Planitia to the south—similar to what is seen at Samarkand Sulci. Near its western end, two deep fractures cut perpendicular to the main ridge belt. Smaller, similar fractures also appear perpendicular to Samarkand Sulci, hinting that a period of extension occurs either late in the formation of these ridge belts or after they have formed.
The name Harran Sulci comes from a city in *Arabian Nights*, where Khudadad's father ruled.
Quick Facts
- Location
- 26.7°N 237.6°W
- Length
- 276 km
- Discoverer
- Voyager 2
- Naming
- City Khudadad's father ruled from
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Harran Sulci is a region of grooved terrain on Enceladus, centered at 26.7° North Latitude, 237.6° West Longitude and approximately 276 kilometers long. It bounds Diyar Planitia to the north and east. Using Voyager 2 images, Kargel and Pozio (1996) characterized Harran Sulci as consisting of sinuous 'mountainous ridges' 1-1.5 km in height, lying within relative topographic lows. They suggested that these ridges might be fold belts, similar to North America's Appalachian Mountains.
Recent images by the Cassini spacecraft show Harran Sulci at much higher resolution than in the Voyager 2 images. The feature has a convex cross-section with numerous ridges running down its length. Like Samarkand Sulci, tall scarps facing the feature separate the surrounding cratered terrain to the north, and Diyar Planitia to the south, from Harran Sulci. Near the western end, two deep fractures were observed running perpendicular to Harran. Similar, but smaller, fractures are seen running perpendicular to Samarkand Sulci, suggesting that a period of extension accompanies the later stages of formation (or occurs after formation) of these ridge belts.
Reader's Guide
Harran Sulci's significance lies in its tectonic features and the insights they provide into Enceladus' geological history. The sinuous mountainous ridges, initially characterized from Voyager 2 images by Kargel and Pozio (1996) as possible fold belts analogous to the Appalachian Mountains, were later imaged at higher resolution by Cassini. These images revealed a convex cross-section with numerous ridges and tall scarps separating the feature from surrounding terrain. The discovery of deep fractures perpendicular to Harran Sulci, along with similar smaller fractures at Samarkand Sulci, suggests that a period of extension accompanies or follows the formation of these ridge belts. This indicates that extensional tectonics played a role in shaping the surface of Enceladus, contributing to the understanding of the moon's tectonic and volcanic history as studied by Kargel and Pozio.
Did You Know?
- Harran Sulci is approximately 276 kilometers long.
- The ridges of Harran Sulci are 1-1.5 km in height.
- Two deep fractures were observed near the western end of Harran Sulci running perpendicular to the feature.
- Harran Sulci is named after a city in Arabian Nights.
More in Moons of Saturn, Part 2 1-24
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