Possible Influence of Venus Topography on the Zonal Wind and UV albedo at Cloud Top Level

Jean-Loup Bertaux (1) , Igor V. Khatuntsev (2) , Alain Hauchecorne (3) , Wojciech J. Markiewicz (4) , Emmanuel Marcq (1) , Sébastien Lebonnois (5)

1 PLANETO - LATMOS
2 IKI - Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
3 STRATO - LATMOS
4 MPS - Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung
5 LMD - Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (UMR 8539)

We investigate the possible existence of planetary stationary waves generated by the interaction of the super-rotating zonal wind with the mountains of Venus. If a stationary gravity wave is generated, as on the Earth with cloud-forming downstream of the mountain, then it may propagate upward, depending on the vertical wind profile and stability profile. The possible break-up of the waves at cloud top level or just below could have a significant effect on the magnitude of the zonal wind, and also on vertical transport of the still-unknown UV absorber which is responsible for the UV contrast in UV images of the ubiquitous Venus cloud cover.

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]; Astrophysics [astro-ph]; Earth and Planetary Astrophysics [astro-ph.EP]

Jean-Loup Bertaux, Igor V. Khatuntsev, Alain Hauchecorne, Wojciech J. Markiewicz, Emmanuel Marcq, et al.. Possible Influence of Venus Topography on the Zonal Wind and UV albedo at Cloud Top Level. AGU Fall Meeting 2014, Dec 2014, San Francisco, United States. pp.P21B-3916, 2014. ⟨insu-01184085⟩