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How much methane is present near Titan’s surface?
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Titan
Titan, moon of Saturn, photographed by Voyager 2 on August 25, 1981, at a distance of 907,000 km (564,000 miles). Green and violet images were combined to make this photograph, which shows the extended atmosphere of the satellite.
Near the surface of Titan, methane accounts for approximately 5 percent of the atmospheric molecules. This fraction is known to decrease with altitude.1
Methane plays a critical role in Titan's environment, acting as the primary agent for erosion and surface sculpting, similar to the role of water on Earth. It exists near its triple point, allowing it to cycle through the atmosphere and precipitate as "rain," while also forming liquid hydrocarbon lakes in the polar regions. Additionally, the surface of Titan is thought to contain ices composed of water, hydrocarbons, and potentially methane.21