Publication Date:
2019-07-12
Description:
The results of three-dimensional general circulation model experiments simulating the earth atmosphere with planetary rotation rates between 1 and 1/64th times the earth's and diurnally averaged thermal forcing are used to evaluate Venus atmospheric superrotation theories invoking the upward transport of angular momentum from the solid planet by the zonal mean circulation. While the theories predict that superrotation is a common feature of slowly rotating planetary atmospheres, suggesting that superrotation should appear in the present, slowly rotating cases, the steady state circulations are noted to include only weak globally averaged superrotation, consistent with previously reported results from lower resolution models. The thermally driven equator-to-pole circulation rapidly generates zonal mean winds during spinup, near the planetary surface, precluding vertical angular momentum transport and suppressing further superrotation development.
Keywords:
LUNAR AND PLANETARY EXPLORATION
Type:
Icarus (ISSN 0019-1035); 66; 380-396
Format:
text
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