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A Long-Lived Sharp Disruption on the Lower Clouds of Venus

Peralta, J.; Navarro, T.; Vun, C. W.; Sanchez-Lavega, A.; McGouldrick, K.; Horinouchi, T.; Imamura, T.; Hueso, R.; Boyd, J. P.; Schubert, G.; Kouyama, T.; Satoh, T.; Iwagami, N.; Young, E. F.; Bullock, M. A.; Machado, P.; Lee, Y. J.; Limaye, S. S.; Nakamur

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
2020
VL / 47 - BP / - EP /
abstract
Planetary-scale waves are thought to play a role in powering the yet unexplained atmospheric superrotation of Venus. Puzzlingly, while Kelvin, Rossby, and stationary waves manifest at the upper clouds (65-70 km), no planetary-scale waves or stationary patterns have been reported in the intervening level of the lower clouds (48-55 km), although the latter are probably Lee waves. Using observations by the Akatsuki orbiter and ground-based telescopes, we show that the lower clouds follow a regular cycle punctuated between 30 degrees N and 40 degrees S by a sharp discontinuity or disruption with potential implications to Venus's general circulation and thermal structure. This disruption exhibits a westward rotation period of similar to 4.9 days faster than winds at this level (similar to 6-day period), alters clouds' properties and aerosols, and remains coherent during weeks. Past observations reveal its recurrent nature since at least 1983, and numerical simulations show that a nonlinear Kelvin wave reproduces many of its properties.

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