P21B-3916:
Possible Influence of Venus Topography on the Zonal Wind and UV albedo at Cloud Top Level.
Tuesday, 16 December 2014
Jean-Loup Bertaux1, Igor Khatuntsev2, Alain Hauchecorne3, Wojciech J Markiewicz4, Marcq Emmanuel1 and Sebastien Lebonnois5, (1)University of Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, Versailles, France, (2)Space Research Institute, Moscow, Russia, (3)LATMOS Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, Paris Cedex 05, France, (4)MPI for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany, (5)CNRS, PARIS, France
Abstract:
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.
