Features appearing darkest to the radar, which are thought to be liquid, are shown in blue and black, and the radar-bright areas likely to be solid surface are tinted brown. The terrain in the top centre of this mosaic is imaged at lower resolution than the remainder of the image.

Most of the many lakes and seas seen so far are contained in this image, including the largest known body of liquid on Titan. These seas are most likely filled with liquid ethane, methane and dissolved nitrogen.

Many bays, islands and presumed tributary networks are associated with the seas. The large feature in the upper right centre of this image is at least 100 000 square kilometers in area, greater in extent than Lake Superior (82 000 square kilometers), one of Earth's largest lakes. This Titan feature covers a greater fraction of the surface, at least 0.12%, than the Black Sea, Earth's largest terrestrial inland sea, at 0.085%. Larger seas may exist, as it is probable that some of these bodies are connected, either in areas unmapped by radar or under the surface.

Of the 400 observed lakes and seas, 70% of their area is taken up by large ‘seas’ greater than 26 000 square km.

Credits: NASA/ JPL/ USGS

Approximately 60% of Titan's north polar region, above 60° north, is now mapped with radar. About 14% of the mapped region is covered by what is interpreted as liquid hydrocarbon lakes.

Credits: NASA/ JPL/ USGS

Cassini completed its 37th fly-by of Saturn's moon Titan on 2 October 2007, allowing the Cassini Radar to obtain this southernmost image to date.

Shown here is a portion of the image swath and an inset with details of a small portion in false colour. Titan’s south pole is at bottom centre. The nature and similarities between the northern and southern near-polar regions supports the idea that much of Titan’s poles are climate-driven.

A few small dark patches - liquid-hydrocarbon-filled lakes - stand out, at about 70 degrees south, and are highlighted in the insert (the lakes are coloured blue). Other features in the scene include broad, steep-sided depressions adjoined to sinuous depressions, interpreted to be empty topographic basins or drained lakes fed by channels, and complex mottled terrain, akin to those at similar northern latitudes. Similarities in features between northern and southern hemispheres imply that the climatic conditions are also similar.

The image shown here is a 1.4-km resolution, 2250-km subsection of a 4,500-km long swath, which is 150 km wide at the narrowest point. The insert is 90 by 90 km, centered at 70.5° south and 113.9° west. Future southern fly-bys will image closer to the pole and are expected to show more lakes.

Credits: NASA/JPL/USGS