Impact of seas/lakes on polar meteorology of Titan: Simulation by a coupled GCM-Sea model

The detection of large hydrocarbon seas/lakes near the poles by the Cassini spacecraft raises the question as to whether and how polar seas affect the meteorology on Titan. The polar meteorology and methane hydrological cycle in the presence of seas are investigated by a three-dimensional atmospheric general circulation model coupled to a one-dimensional sea energy balance model considering the observed sea/lake geography. The sea composition has a large control on the seasonal evolution of seas, temperature and wind system in the polar region, particularly in the north where large seas are located. The surface of ethane-rich seas, which do not evaporate methane, undergo a large seasonal temperature variation and the sea surface is often warmer than the surrounding land surface. Land breeze in summer towards the seas causes a moisture convergence over the seas, which leads to enhanced summer precipitation in the sea area. On the other hand, methane-rich seas evaporate some methane and are therefore colder than the surroundings. This causes a sea breeze across the north pole in summer, which blows away the moisture from the polar region, so precipitation becomes scarce in the north polar region. The breeze can become stronger than the tidal wind. Sea evaporation peaks in winter, when the temperature and average methane mixing ratio in the planetary boundary layer become lowest. The sea level predominantly rises in summer by precipitation and retreats in winter by evaporation. The meteorology in the south polar region is less sensitive to the composition of the lakes because of the paucity and smallness of southern lakes. Lake-effect precipitation can occur either by moisture convergence by the breeze or humidity enhancement over the seas, but is more characteristic of warm seasons than of cold seasons.