Investigating the Detectability of Body Wave Phases From Tidal Ice Cracking Events on Titan With the <i>Dragonfly</i> Short‐Period Seismometer

Abstract Detecting seismic activity on Saturn's icy moon Titan during the Dragonfly mission could provide crucial information on its internal structure. The geological complexity of the moon's surface suggests significant cyclic tidal deformation, likely leading to the fracturing of the ice shell. Considering realistic source locations and fault geometries, we assess whether a vertical short‐period seismometer can detect body waves from a 4.0 icequake. Signal‐to‐noise ratios are evaluated by comparing the high‐frequency content with the expected background noise and instrument capabilities for several ice attenuation scenarios and 1D interior models. Our results indicate that the high‐frequency content (Hz) of tidal‐induced icequakes is likely undetectable under the most unfavorable attenuation scenarios and atmospheric conditions. However, seismic signals in the 0.5–1 Hz band—where P wave reflections dominate—may still be observable for events occurring in potential seismically active regions at ∼800–1,000 km from the Dragonfly 's landing site. These signals could provide constraints on the thickness of Titan's outer ice shell, provided that intrinsic attenuation is low and environmental conditions are favorable.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research Planets
Published
2026-04-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1029/2025je009432
Primary Topic
Astro and Planetary Science
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Investigating the Detectability of Body Wave Phases From Tidal Ice Cracking Events on Titan With the Dragonfly Short‐Period Seismometer

Ryuhei Yamada, Lorraine Delaroque, A. Lucas, M. P. Panning et al.
Journal of Geophysical Research Planets
Astro and Planetary Science
article

Investigating the Detectability of Body Wave Phases From Tidal Ice Cracking Events on Titan With the Dragonfly Short‐Period Seismometer

Ryuhei Yamada, Lorraine Delaroque, A. Lucas, M. P. Panning, T. Kawamura, S. Tanaka, H. Shiraishi, K. Onodera, S. Rodriguez, R. D. Lorenz
article en

Abstract

Abstract Detecting seismic activity on Saturn's icy moon Titan during the Dragonfly mission could provide crucial information on its internal structure. The geological complexity of the moon's surface suggests significant cyclic tidal deformation, likely leading to the fracturing of the ice shell. Considering realistic source locations and fault geometries, we assess whether a vertical short‐period seismometer can detect body waves from a 4.0 icequake. Signal‐to‐noise ratios are evaluated by comparing the high‐frequency content with the expected background noise and instrument capabilities for several ice attenuation scenarios and 1D interior models. Our results indicate that the high‐frequency content (Hz) of tidal‐induced icequakes is likely undetectable under the most unfavorable attenuation scenarios and atmospheric conditions. However, seismic signals in the 0.5–1 Hz band—where P wave reflections dominate—may still be observable for events occurring in potential seismically active regions at ∼800–1,000 km from the Dragonfly 's landing site. These signals could provide constraints on the thickness of Titan's outer ice shell, provided that intrinsic attenuation is low and environmental conditions are favorable.

Journal of Geophysical Research PlanetsVol. 131(4)
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (US), University of Aizu (JP), Institut de physique du globe de Paris (FR), Okayama University (JP), Université Paris Cité (FR), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JP), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (US), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (JP)
Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales
Life below water
Openalex Percentile: Top 18%
Astro and Planetary Science
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