Published March 21, 1986
| public
Journal Article
Implications of the VEGA Balloon Results for Venus Atmospheric Dynamics
Abstract
Both VEGA balloons encountered vertical winds with typical velocities of 1 to 2 meters per second. These values are consistent with those estimated from mixing length theory of thermal convection. However, small-scale temperature fluctuations for each balloon were sometimes larger than predicted. The approximate 6.5-kelvin difference in temperature consistently seen between VEGA-1 and VEGA-2 is probably due to synoptic or planetary-scale nonaxisymmetric disturbances that propagate westward with respect to the planet. There is also evidence from Doppler data for the existence of solar-fixed nonaxisymmetric motions that may be thermal tides. Surface topography may influence atmospheric motions experienced by the VEGA-2 balloon.
Additional Information
© 1986 American Association for the Advancement of Science. 23 October 1986, accepted 24 January 1986. Supported in part by NASA Ames Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 38055
- DOI
- 10.1126/science.231.4744.1422
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20130422-072711884
- NASA Ames Research Center
- JPL
- Created
-
2013-04-23Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2021-11-09Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences