赤道(dao)脊是(shi)(shi)土星(xing)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)星(xing)上存在的(de)(de)一種(zhong)地貌(mao)特(te)征,至今(jin)已在三顆(ke)(ke)土星(xing)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)星(xing)的(de)(de)發(fa)現了該地貌(mao)——即較(jiao)(jiao)大的(de)(de)土衛(wei)(wei)(wei)八和(he)較(jiao)(jiao)小的(de)(de)土衛(wei)(wei)(wei)十五、土衛(wei)(wei)(wei)十八。三顆(ke)(ke)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)星(xing)上的(de)(de)赤道(dao)脊所在位置都接(jie)近于衛(wei)(wei)(wei)星(xing)赤道(dao)。這(zhe)種(zhong)地貌(mao)只存在于土星(xing)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)星(xing)上,但還不確(que)定其形(xing)成(cheng)是(shi)(shi)否有共同原因或者只是(shi)(shi)一種(zhong)巧合。三顆(ke)(ke)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)星(xing)上的(de)(de)赤道(dao)脊都是(shi)(shi)于2005年為(wei)卡(ka)西尼號(hao)所發(fa)現。
土(tu)衛(wei)(wei)八上的赤(chi)道(dao)脊的寬(kuan)達20公(gong)(gong)里(li)(li),高達13公(gong)(gong)里(li)(li),長度達1300公(gong)(gong)里(li)(li)。土(tu)衛(wei)(wei)十(shi)五較之土(tu)衛(wei)(wei)八小(xiao)得多,但是按比例(li)來說,其上的赤(chi)道(dao)脊則更為(wei)顯眼,該地形(xing)使得土(tu)衛(wei)(wei)十(shi)五的形(xing)狀(zhuang)十(shi)分(fen)怪異(yi),看起來就像不明飛(fei)行物。土(tu)衛(wei)(wei)十(shi)八的圖像較為(wei)模糊,但是仍能分(fen)辨出類(lei)似于土(tu)衛(wei)(wei)十(shi)八的結(jie)構。
至(zhi)今(jin)仍不清楚(chu)這些山脊(ji)是(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)如何(he)形(xing)(xing)成的(de)(de),以(yi)及三顆衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)星(xing)(xing)(xing)上的(de)(de)類似地形(xing)(xing)是(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)否存在著某種(zhong)(zhong)聯系。由(you)(you)于(yu)(yu)土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)十(shi)(shi)五和土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)十(shi)(shi)八(ba)的(de)(de)軌道(dao)(dao)(dao)位(wei)于(yu)(yu)土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)星(xing)(xing)(xing)環(huan)之(zhi)內(nei)(nei)(nei),因此有人認(ren)為這兩顆衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)星(xing)(xing)(xing)吸附了(le)土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)星(xing)(xing)(xing)環(huan)中的(de)(de)物質,從(cong)而(er)(er)在赤(chi)道(dao)(dao)(dao)處形(xing)(xing)成了(le)這種(zhong)(zhong)山脊(ji)。但是(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)這種(zhong)(zhong)理論(lun)并不適用于(yu)(yu)土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)八(ba),因為該衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)星(xing)(xing)(xing)的(de)(de)軌道(dao)(dao)(dao)位(wei)于(yu)(yu)土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)星(xing)(xing)(xing)環(huan)之(zhi)外。曾有科(ke)(ke)學家認(ren)為土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)八(ba)曾經位(wei)于(yu)(yu)土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)星(xing)(xing)(xing)環(huan)之(zhi)內(nei)(nei)(nei),從(cong)而(er)(er)形(xing)(xing)成了(le)該地形(xing)(xing),后(hou)來由(you)(you)于(yu)(yu)某種(zhong)(zhong)未知原因而(er)(er)被推出(chu)至(zhi)現今(jin)的(de)(de)位(wei)置(zhi)。與之(zhi)對應,還有一種(zhong)(zhong)觀點認(ren)為土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)八(ba)的(de)(de)軌道(dao)(dao)(dao)位(wei)置(zhi)并未發生變化,而(er)(er)是(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)星(xing)(xing)(xing)環(huan)由(you)(you)于(yu)(yu)土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)星(xing)(xing)(xing)的(de)(de)重力場而(er)(er)被拉至(zhi)更近的(de)(de)軌道(dao)(dao)(dao)位(wei)置(zhi)。但是(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)大(da)多(duo)數科(ke)(ke)學家都傾向于(yu)(yu)以(yi)下觀點:土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)八(ba)的(de)(de)赤(chi)道(dao)(dao)(dao)脊(ji)是(shi)(shi)(shi)(shi)由(you)(you)某種(zhong)(zhong)內(nei)(nei)(nei)源性構造活動形(xing)(xing)成的(de)(de),而(er)(er)與土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)十(shi)(shi)五和土(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)(tu)衛(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)(wei)十(shi)(shi)八(ba)的(de)(de)赤(chi)道(dao)(dao)(dao)脊(ji)的(de)(de)形(xing)(xing)成過程沒有聯系。