In 2017, the results from Cassini's flight through the region between Saturn and the inner edge of the rings were described as the "Big Empty". Nevertheless in 2018, the region was described as having a huge amount of "ring rain" consisting of dust grains coated in ices and organics falling into the atmosphere.
How can these be reconciled? Was the earlier determination of the conditions in error, is this a consequence of variability or sampling different types of particles, or something else?