Is Titan's Hydrocarbon-Rich Composition Evidence for Abiotic Oil Formation?

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The discussion centers on the implications of Titan's hydrocarbon presence for the Abiotic oil theory. It argues that the formation of hydrocarbons on Titan, influenced by high pressure and UV dissociation of methane, differs significantly from processes on rocky planets like Earth. The presence of alcohol in interstellar clouds is mentioned as a humorous analogy, emphasizing that it does not support the idea of extraterrestrial origins for beer. Clarifications are made regarding Titan's composition, with some participants questioning whether it qualifies as a rocky moon. The conversation highlights the complexities of hydrocarbon formation in Titan's atmosphere compared to Earth's geological history, particularly regarding the conditions necessary for abiotic oil formation.
OSalcido
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Doesn't the fact that Titan is full of hydrocarbons kinda prove the Abiotic oil theory?
 
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Not really - you put a couple of billion tons of hydrogen and carbon together under enourmous pressure you will form lots of stuff. Very different from rocky planets.
There is alcohol in intersteller clouds but it doesn't prove the 'beer is from space' theory!
 
mgb_phys said:
Very different from rocky planets.
I don't understand this... is Titan not a rocky moon?



There is alcohol in intersteller clouds but it doesn't prove the 'beer is from space' theory!
Well this is just a strawman argument...
 
OSalcido said:
I don't understand this... is Titan not a rocky moon?
I assumed the hydrocarbons had been formed in the gas giant and swept up by the moon it looks like they are formed by UV dissociations of methane in the thick atmosphere.
The atmopshere is presumably fairly similair to early Earth - although the oil deposits on Earth are much newer ( a few 100mya).




Well this is just a strawman argument...
It was a joke. Abiotic oil would either have to have formed in the oxidising atmopshere of the cretaceous or survived from the atmopshere of the early Earth and somehow managed to rise to the right depth to be trapped by cretaceous geology.
 
So Titan has an oxidising atmosphere?
 

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