Maintenance of equatorial superrotation in the atmospheres of Venus and Titan

This paper extends Leovy's theory on Venus’ equatorial superrotation by analytically examining additional terms in the mean zonal momentum equation that stably balances the momentum source of pumping by thermal tides. The general analytical solution is applied to the atmospheres of both Venus and Saturn's moon Titan. The main results are: (i) Venus’ equatorial superrotation of 118 m s⁻¹ results primarily from a balance between the momentum source of pumping by thermal tides and the momentum sink of meridional advection of wind shear by horizontal branches of the Hadley circulation; (ii) no solution is found for Titan's stratospheric equatorial superrotation centered at the 1-hPa level; (iii) however, if the main solar radiation absorption layer in Titan's stratosphere is lifted from 1 hPa (∼185 km) to 0.1 hPa (∼288 km), an equatorial superrotation of ∼110 m s⁻¹ centered at 0.1-hPa could be maintained. Titan's equatorial superrotation results mainly from a balance between the momentum source of tidal pumping and the momentum sink of frictional drag.     

Decadal variations in a Venus general circulation model

The Community Atmosphere Model (CAM), a 3-dimensional Earth-based climate model, has been modified to simulate the dynamics of the Venus atmosphere. The most current finite volume version of CAM is used with Earth-related processes removed, parameters appropriate for Venus introduced, and some basic physics approximations adopted. A simplified Newtonian cooling approximation has been used for the radiation scheme. We use a high resolution (1° by 1° in latitude and longitude) to take account of small-scale dynamical processes that might be important on Venus. A Rayleigh friction approach is used at the lower boundary to represent surface drag, and a similar approach is implemented in the uppermost few model levels providing a ‘sponge layer’ to prevent wave reflection from the upper boundary. The simulations generate superrotation with wind velocities comparable to those measured in the Venus atmosphere by probes and around 50-60% of those measured by cloud tracking. At cloud heights and above the atmosphere is always superrotating with mid-latitude zonal jets that wax and wane on an approximate 10 year cycle. However, below the clouds, the zonal winds vary periodically on a decadal timescale between superrotation and subrotation. Both subrotating and superrotating mid-latitude jets are found in the approximate 40-60 km altitude range. The growth and decay of the sub-cloud level jets also occur on the decadal timescale. Though subrotating zonal winds are found below the clouds, the total angular momentum of the atmosphere is always in the sense of superrotation. The global relative angular momentum of the atmosphere oscillates with an amplitude of about 5% on the approximate 10 year timescale. Symmetric instability in the near surface equatorial atmosphere might be the source of the decadal oscillation in the atmospheric state. Analyses of angular momentum transport show that all the jets are built up by poleward transport by a meridional circulation while angular momentum is redistributed to lower latitudes primarily by transient eddies. Possible changes in the structure of Venus’ cloud level mid-latitude jets measured by Mariner 10, Pioneer Venus, and Venus Express suggest that a cyclic variation similar to that found in the model might occur in the real Venus atmosphere, although no subrotating winds below the cloud level have been observed to date. Venus’ atmosphere must be observed over multi-year timescales and below the clouds if we are to understand its dynamics.     

On the maintenance of thermal wind balance and equatorial superrotation in Titan's stratosphere

Titan's atmospheric winds, like those on Venus, exhibit superrotation at high altitudes. Titan general circulation models have yielded conflicting results on whether prograde winds in excess of 100 m s⁻¹ at the 1 mbar level are possible based on known physical processes that drive wind systems. A comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) model for Titan's stratosphere was constructed to systematically explore the physical mechanisms that produce and maintain stratospheric wind systems. To ensure conservation of angular momentum in the limit of no net exchange of atmospheric angular momentum with the solid satellite and no external sources and sinks, the zonal momentum equation was solved in flux form for total angular momentum. The relationships among thermal wind balance, meridional circulation, and zonal wind were examined with numerical experiments over a range of values for fundamental input parameters, including planetary rotation rate, radius, internal friction due to wave stresses, and net radiative drive. The magnitude of mid-latitude jets is most sensitive to a single parameter, the planetary rotation rate and results from the conversion of planetary angular momentum to relative angular momentum by the meridional circulation, whereas the strength of meridional circulation is mainly determined by the magnitude of the radiative drive. For Titan's slowly rotating atmosphere, the meridional temperature gradient is vanishingly small, even when the radiative drive is enhanced beyond reasonable magnitudes, and can be inferred from zonal winds in gradient/thermal wind balance. In our 2D model large equatorial superrotation in Titan's stratosphere can be only produced through internal drag forcing by eddy momentum fluxes, which redistribute angular momentum within the atmosphere, while still conserving the total angular momentum of the atmosphere with time. We cannot identify any waves, such as gravitational or thermal tides, that are sufficiently capable of generating the required eddy forcing of >50 m s⁻¹ Titan-day⁻¹ to maintain peak prograde winds in excess of 100 m s⁻¹ at the 1 mbar level.     

Titan global climate model: A new 3-dimensional version of the IPSL Titan GCM

We have developed a new 3-dimensional climate model for Titan’s atmosphere, using the physics of the IPSL Titan 2-dimensional climate model with the current version of the LMDZ General Circulation Model dynamical core. Microphysics and photochemistry are still computed as zonal averages. This GCM covers altitudes from surface to 500 km altitude, with barotropic waves now being resolved and the diurnal cycle included. The boundary layer scheme has been changed, yielding a strong improvement in the tropospheric zonal wind profile modeled at Huygens descent position and season. The potential temperature profile is fairly consistent with Huygens observations in the lowest 10 km. The latitudinal profile of the near-surface temperature is close to observed values. The minimum of zonal wind observed by the Huygens probe just above the tropopause is also present in these simulations, and its origin is discussed by comparing solar heating and dynamical transport of energy. The stratospheric temperature and wind fields are consistent with our previous works. Compared to observations, the zonal wind peak is too weak (around 120 m/s) and too low (around 200 km). The temperature structures appear to be compressed in altitude, and depart strongly from observations in the upper stratosphere. These discrepancies are correlated, and most probably related to the altitude of the haze production. The model produces a detached haze layer located more than 150 km lower than observed by the Cassini instruments. This low production altitude is due to the current position of the GCM upper boundary. However, the temporal behaviour of the detached haze layer in the model may explain the seasonal differences observed between Cassini and Voyager 1. The waves present in the GCM are analyzed, together with their respective roles in the angular momentum budget. Though the role of the mean meridional circulation in momentum transport is similar to previous work, and the transport by barotropic waves is clearly seen in the stratosphere, a significant part of the transport at high latitudes is done all year long through low-frequency tropospheric waves that may be baroclinic waves.     

Latitudinal transport by barotropic waves in Titan's stratosphere.: I. General properties from a horizontal shallow-water model

We present a numerical study of barotropic waves in Titan's stratosphere based on a shallow-water model. The forcing of the zonal flow by the mean meridional circulation is represented by a relaxation towards a barotropically unstable wind profile. The relaxation profile is consistent with observations and with previous results from a 3D general circulation model. The time constant of the forcing that best matches the northward eddy-transport of zonal momentum from the 3D model is τ∼5 Titan days. The eddy wind field is a zonal wavenumber-2 wave with a peak amplitude about 10% of the mean wind speed. The latitudinal transport of angular momentum by the wave tends to keep the flow close to marginal stability by carrying momentum upgradient, from the core of the jets into the low latitudes. Although the strongest eddy motions occur at the latitudes of the wind maxima, the strongest mixing takes place at the barotropically unstable regions, close to ±30° and spanning about 30° in latitude. An eddy-mixing time constant of the order of 1 Titan day is inferred within these regions, and of a few tens of days within regions of stable flow. Horizontal gradients in transient tracer fields are less than 10% of the latitudinal gradient of the meridional tracer profile. Cassini's detection of such waves could provide a direct observation of wind speeds at stratospheric levels.     

Simulations of Superrotation on Slowly Rotating Planets: Sensitivity to Rotation and Initial Condition

We use a simplified terrestrial general circulation model as a nonlinear process model to investigate factors that influence the extent of equatorial superrotation in statically stable atmospheres on slowly rotating planets such as Titan and Venus. The possibility of multiple equilibria is tested by running the same model to equilibrium from vastly different initial conditions. The final state is effectively independent of initial state, reinforcing the impression that equatorial superrotation is inevitable on slowly rotating planets with stable radiative equilibrium structures. Of particular interest is the fact that at Titan rotation, the model equilibrates with strong prograde winds even when initialized with strong retrograde winds. This suggests that reliable remote sensing inferences of latitudinal temperature gradients on Titan can unambiguously be interpreted as evidence for superrotation. We also demonstrate for the first time that significant equatorial superrotation can be produced at Venus' rotation rate in such models, given sufficient numerical precision. The strength of superrotating zonal winds increases with rotation rate in the slowly rotating regime when other parameters are held fixed. However, the efficiency of superrotation relative to the angular momentum of an atmosphere corotating with the solid planet increases with decreasing rotation rate instead, because the Hadley cell strengthens and expands poleward. This allows for the formation of stronger high latitude jets, which ultimately serve as the source for equatorial superrotation via barotropic instability. Estimates of relevant parameter settings for Triton and Pluto tentatively imply that their atmospheres may marginally be in the superrotating regime, but only if temperature decreases with height near the surface.     

General circulation model simulations of superrotation in slowly rotating atmospheres: Implications for Venus

A series of experiments with a three dimensional general circulation model developed to simulate Earth's atmosphere is run with planetary rotation rates varying between 1 and 1/64 times Earth's rotation rate and diurnally averaged thermal forcing. Results are used to evaluate theories of Venus' atmospheric superrotation which invoke upward transport of angular momentum from the solid planet by the zonal mean (i.e., axisymmetric) circulation. The theories predict that superrotation is a common feature of slowly rotating planetary atmospheres, suggesting that superrotation should appear in the idealized slowly rotating cases of the present study. We find, however, that although dynamical mechanisms suggested for axisymmetric forcing of superrotation appear in model spinups from rest, the steady-state circulations include only weak globally averaged superrotation, consistent with previously reported results from lower resolution models. It appears that during spinup the thermally driven equator-to-pole circulation rapidly generates zonal-mean winds near the planetary surface which preclude vertical angular momentum transport and thus suppress further development of the superrotation. If this is the case, then the diurnally varying component of solar heating, such as atmospheric tides or the “moving flame”, must be included to explain Venus' strong atmospheric superrotation.     

Deep jets on gas-giant planets

Three-dimensional numerical simulations of the atmospheric flow on giant planets using the primitive equations show that shallow thermal forcing confined to pressures near the cloud tops can produce deep zonal winds from the tropopause all the way down to the bottom of the atmosphere. These deep winds can attain speeds comparable to the zonal jet speeds within the shallow, forced layer; they are pumped by Coriolis acceleration acting on a deep meridional circulation driven by the shallow-layer eddies. In the forced layer, the flow reaches an approximate steady state where east-west eddy accelerations balance Coriolis accelerations acting on the meridional flow. Under Jupiter-like conditions, our simulations produce 25 to 30 zonal jets, similar to the number of jets observed on Jupiter and Saturn. The simulated jet widths correspond to the Rhines scale; this suggests that, despite the three-dimensional nature of the dynamics, the baroclinic eddies energize a quasi-two-dimensional inverse cascade modified by the β effect (where β is the gradient of the Coriolis parameter). In agreement with Jupiter, the jets can violate the barotropic and Charney-Stern stability criteria, achieving curvatures ^∂2u/∂y² of the zonal wind u with northward distance y up to 2β. The simulations exhibit a tendency toward neutral stability with respect to Arnol'd's second stability theorem in the upper troposphere, as has been suggested for Jupiter, although deviations from neutrality exist. When the temperature varies strongly with latitude near the equator, our simulations can also reproduce the stable equatorial superrotation with wind speeds greater than . Diagnostics show that barotropic eddies at low latitudes drive the equatorial superrotation. The simulations also broadly explain the distribution of jet-pumping eddies observed on Jupiter and Saturn. While idealized, these simulations therefore capture many aspects of the cloud-level flows on Jupiter and Saturn.     

Small-scale composition and haze layering in Titan’s polar vortex

Fine scale layering of haze and composition in Titan’s stratosphere and mesosphere was investigated using visible/UV images from Cassini’s Imaging Science Sub-system (ISS) and IR spectra from Cassini’s Composite Infra-Red Spectrometer (CIRS). Both ISS and CIRS independently show fine layered structures in haze and composition, respectively, in the 150-450 km altitude range with a preferred vertical wavelength of around 50 km. Layers are most pronounced around the north polar winter vortex, although some weaker layers do exist at more southerly latitudes. The amplitude of composition layers in each trace gas profile is proportional to the relative enrichment of that species in the winter polar vortex compared to equatorial latitudes. As enrichment is caused by polar subsidence, this suggests a dynamical origin. We propose that the polar layers are caused by cross-latitude advection across the vortex boundary. This is analogous to processes that lead to ozone laminae formation around Earth’s polar vortices.     

Latitudinal variations in Titan’s methane and haze from Cassini VIMS observations

We analyze observations taken with Cassini’s Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS), to determine the current methane and haze latitudinal distribution between 60°S and 40°N. The methane variation was measured primarily from its absorption band at 0.61 μm, which is optically thin enough to be sensitive to the methane abundance at 20-50 km altitude. Haze characteristics were determined from Titan’s 0.4-1.6 μm spectra, which sample Titan’s atmosphere from the surface to 200 km altitude. Radiative transfer models based on the haze properties and methane absorption profiles at the Huygens site reproduced the observed VIMS spectra and allowed us to retrieve latitude variations in the methane abundance and haze. We find the haze variations can be reproduced by varying only the density and single scattering albedo above 80 km altitude. There is an ambiguity between methane abundance and haze optical depth, because higher haze optical depth causes shallower methane bands; thus a family of solutions is allowed by the data. We find that haze variations alone, with a constant methane abundance, can reproduce the spatial variation in the methane bands if the haze density increases by 60% between 20°S and 10°S (roughly the sub-solar latitude) and single scattering absorption increases by 20% between 60°S and 40°N. On the other hand, a higher abundance of methane between 20 and 50 km in the summer hemisphere, as much as two times that of the winter hemisphere, is also possible, if the haze variations are minimized. The range of possible methane variations between 27°S and 19°N is consistent with condensation as a result of temperature variations of 0-1.5 K at 20-30 km. Our analysis indicates that the latitudinal variations in Titan’s visible to near-IR albedo, the north/south asymmetry (NSA), result primarily from variations in the thickness of the darker haze layer, detected by Huygens DISR, above 80 km altitude. If we assume little to no latitudinal methane variations we can reproduce the NSA wavelength signatures with the derived haze characteristics. We calculate the solar heating rate as a function of latitude and derive variations of ∼10-15% near the sub-solar latitude resulting from the NSA. Most of the latitudinal variations in the heating rate stem from changes in solar zenith angle rather than compositional variations.     

Numerical simulation of the general circulation of the atmosphere of Titan

The atmospheric circulation of Titan is investigated with a general circulation model. The representation of the large-scale dynamics is based on a grid point model developed and used at Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique for climate studies. The code also includes an accurate representation of radiative heating and cooling by molecular gases and haze as well as a parametrization of the vertical turbulent mixing of momentum and potential temperature. Long-term simulations of the atmospheric circulation are presented. Starting from a state of rest, the model spontaneously produces a strong superrotation with prograde equatorial winds (i.e., in the same sense as the assumed rotation of the solid body) increasing from the surface to reach 100 m sec-1 near the 1-mbar pressure level. Those equatorial winds are in very good agreement with some indirect observations, especially those of the 1989 occultation of Star 28-Sgr by Titan. On the other hand, the model simulates latitudinal temperature contrasts in the stratosphere that are significantly weaker than those observed by Voyager 1 which, we suggest, may be partly due to the nonrepresentation of the spatial and temporal variations of the abundances of molecular species and haze. We present diagnostics of the simulated atmospheric circulation underlying the importance of the seasonal cycle and a tentative explanation for the creation and maintenance of the atmospheric superrotation based on a careful angular momentum budget.     

Latitudinal transport by barotropic waves in Titan's stratosphere.: II. Results from a coupled dynamics-microphysics-photochemistry GCM

We present a 2D general circulation model of Titan's atmosphere, coupling axisymmetric dynamics with haze microphysics, a simplified photochemistry and eddy mixing. We develop a parameterization of latitudinal eddy mixing by barotropic waves based on a shallow-water, longitude-latitude model. The parameterization acts locally and in real time both on passive tracers and momentum. The mixing coefficient varies exponentially with a measure of the barotropic instability of the mean zonal flow. The coupled GCM approximately reproduces the Voyager temperature measurements and the latitudinal contrasts in the distributions of HCN and C₂H₂, as well as the main features of the zonal wind retrieved from the 1989 stellar occultation. Wind velocities are consistent with the observed reversal time of the North-South albedo asymmetry of 5 terrestrial years. Model results support the hypothesis of a non-uniform distribution of infrared opacity as the cause of the Voyager temperature asymmetry. Transport by the mean meridional circulation, combined with polar vortex isolation may be at the origin of the latitudinal contrasts of trace species, with eddy mixing remaining restricted to low latitudes most of the Titan year. We interpret the contrasts as a signature of non-axisymmetric motions.     

Threshold of wave generation on Titan’s lakes and seas: Effect of viscosity and implications for Cassini observations

Motivated by radar and near-infrared data indicating that Titan’s polar lakes are extremely smooth, we consider the conditions under which a lake surface will be ruffled by wind to form capillary waves. We evaluate laboratory data on wind generation and derive, without scaling for surface tension effects, a threshold for pure methane/ethane of ∼0.5-1 m/s. However, we compute the physical properties of predicted Titan lake compositions using the National Institute for Standards Technology (NIST) code and note that dissolved amounts of C3 and C4 compounds are likely to make Titan lakes much more viscous than pure ethane or methane, even without allowing for suspended particulates which would increase the viscosity further. Wind tunnel experiments show a strong dependence of capillary wave growth on liquid viscosity, and this effect may explain the apparent absence so far of waves, contrary to prior expectations that generation of gravity waves by wind should be easy on Titan. On the other hand, we note that winds over Titan lakes predicted with the TitanWRF Global Circulation Model indicate radar observations so far have in any case been when winds have been low (∼0.5-0.7 m/s), possibly below the wave generation threshold, while peak winds during summer may reach 1-2 m/s. Thus observations of Titan’s northern lakes during the coming years by the Cassini Solstice mission offer the highest probability of observing wind-roughening of lake surfaces, while observations of Ontario Lacus in the south will likely continue to show it to be flat and smooth.     

A tropical haze band in Titan’s stratosphere

Inspection of near-infrared images from Cassini’s Imaging Science Subsystem and Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer have revealed a new feature in Titan’s haze structure: a narrow band of increased scattering by haze south of the equator. The band seems to indicate a region of very limited mixing in the lower stratosphere, which causes haze particles to be trapped there. This could explain the sharp separation between the two hemispheres, known as the north-south asymmetry, seen in images. The separation of the two hemispheres can also be seen in the stratosphere above 150 km using infrared spectra measured by Cassini’s Composite Infrared Spectrometer. Titan’s behaviour in the lower tropical stratosphere is remarkably similar to that of the Earth’s tropical stratosphere, which hints at possible common dynamical processes.     

Convective cloud heights as a diagnostic for methane environment on Titan

The appearance of convective clouds in Titan’s troposphere has been documented from ground-based observation for more than a decade. Cloud tops have been reported between 14 and 25 km. Higher resolution Cassini data have shown smaller portions of the cloud system can reach up to 42 km. We use the Titan Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (TRAMS) to explore environments which allow convective clouds to reach the tropopause. In general, cloud tops remain below 30 km, but for environments where the surface humidity of methane is greater than 50%, a small portion at the center of the cloud rises briefly to higher altitudes; for ?65% humidity, the cloud top reaches nearly to the tropopause (∼40 km). A number of other parameters also have noticeable affects on cloud top such as nucleation critical saturation, haze abundance, and collisional growth of cloud particles.     

Evidence for layered methane clouds in Titan’s troposphere

Layered methane clouds in Titan’s troposphere with an upper methane ice cloud, a lower liquid methane-nitrogen cloud, and a gap in between were suggested from in situ measurements and ground-based observations. Here we report laboratory investigations under conditions that mimic Titan’s troposphere providing a detailed picture of the cloud layers. A solid methane cloud with a nitrogen content of less than 14% and a liquid methane-nitrogen cloud with a nitrogen content of ∼30% form above ∼19 km and below ∼16 km altitude, respectively. Contrary to previous assertions, long-lived supercooled liquid methane-nitrogen droplets can be sustained in the region in between. The results demonstrate that a cloud gap could only form in the presence of high amounts of other traces species (ethane nuclei, tholin particles, etc.).     

Exchange of global mean angular momentum between an atmosphere and its underlying planet

This paper investigates the exchange of global mean angular momentum between an atmosphere and its underlying planet by a simple model. The model parameterizes four processes that are responsible for zonal mean momentum budget in the atmospheric boundary layer for a rotating planet: (i) meridional circulation that redistributes the relative angular momentum, (ii) horizontal diffusion that smoothes the prograde and retrograde winds, (iii) frictional drag that exchanges atmospheric angular momentum with the underlying planet, and (iv) internal redistribution of the zonal mean momentum by wave drag. It is shown that under a steady-state or a long-term average condition, the global relative angular momentum in the boundary layer vanishes unless there exists a preferred frictional drag for either the prograde or the retrograde zonal wind. We further show quantitatively that one cannot have either a predominant steady prograde or retrograde wind in the boundary layer of a planetary atmosphere. The parameter dependencies of the global relative angular momentum and the strength of the atmospheric circulation in the boundary layer are derived explicitly and used to explain the observational differences between the atmospheres of Earth and Venus.     

Distribution and interplay of geologic processes on Titan from Cassini radar data

The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper is providing an unprecedented view of Titan’s surface geology. Here we use Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image swaths (Ta-T30) obtained from October 2004 to December 2007 to infer the geologic processes that have shaped Titan’s surface. These SAR swaths cover about 20% of the surface, at a spatial resolution ranging from ∼350 m to ∼2 km. The SAR data are distributed over a wide latitudinal and longitudinal range, enabling some conclusions to be drawn about the global distribution of processes. They reveal a geologically complex surface that has been modified by all the major geologic processes seen on Earth - volcanism, tectonism, impact cratering, and erosion and deposition by fluvial and aeolian activity. In this paper, we map geomorphological units from SAR data and analyze their areal distribution and relative ages of modification in order to infer the geologic evolution of Titan’s surface. We find that dunes and hummocky and mountainous terrains are more widespread than lakes, putative cryovolcanic features, mottled plains, and craters and crateriform structures that may be due to impact. Undifferentiated plains are the largest areal unit; their origin is uncertain. In terms of latitudinal distribution, dunes and hummocky and mountainous terrains are located mostly at low latitudes (less than 30°), with no dunes being present above 60°. Channels formed by fluvial activity are present at all latitudes, but lakes are at high latitudes only. Crateriform structures that may have been formed by impact appear to be uniformly distributed with latitude, but the well-preserved impact craters are all located at low latitudes, possibly indicating that more resurfacing has occurred at higher latitudes. Cryovolcanic features are not ubiquitous, and are mostly located between 30° and 60° north. We examine temporal relationships between units wherever possible, and conclude that aeolian and fluvial/pluvial/lacustrine processes are the most recent, while tectonic processes that led to the formation of mountains and Xanadu are likely the most ancient.     

Dynamical properties of the Venus mesosphere from the radio-occultation experiment VeRa onboard Venus Express

The dynamics of Venus’ mesosphere (60–100 km altitude) was investigated using data acquired by the radio-occultation experiment VeRa on board Venus Express. VeRa provides vertical profiles of density, temperature and pressure between 40 and 90 km of altitude with a vertical resolution of few hundred meters of both the Northern and Southern hemisphere. Pressure and temperature vertical profiles were used to derive zonal winds by applying an approximation of the Navier–Stokes equation, the cyclostrophic balance, which applies well on slowly rotating planets with fast zonal winds, like Venus and Titan. The main features of the retrieved winds are a midlatitude jet with a maximum speed up to 140 ± 15 m s^?1 which extends between 20°S and 50°S latitude at 70 km altitude and a decrease of wind speed with increasing height above the jet. Cyclostrophic winds show satisfactory agreement with the cloud-tracked winds derived from the Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC/VEx) UV images, although a disagreement is observed at the equator and near the pole due to the breakdown of the cyclostrophic approximation. Knowledge of both temperature and wind fields allowed us to study the stability of the atmosphere with respect to convection and turbulence. The Richardson number Ri was evaluated from zonal field of measured temperatures and thermal winds. The atmosphere is characterised by a low value of Richardson number from ～45 km up to ～60 km altitude at all latitudes that corresponds to the lower and middle cloud layer indicating an almost adiabatic atmosphere. A high value of Richardson number was found in the region of the midlatitude jet indicating a highly stable atmosphere. The necessary condition for barotropic instability was verified: it is satisfied on the poleward side of the midlatitude jet, indicating the possible presence of wave instability.     

Generation of equatorial jets by large-scale latent heating on the giant planets

Three-dimensional numerical simulations show that large-scale latent heating resulting from condensation of water vapor can produce multiple zonal jets similar to those on the gas giants (Jupiter and Saturn) and ice giants (Uranus and Neptune). For plausible water abundances (3-5 times solar on Jupiter/Saturn and 30 times solar on Uranus/Neptune), our simulations produce ∼20 zonal jets for Jupiter and Saturn and 3 zonal jets on Uranus and Neptune, similar to the number of jets observed on these planets. Moreover, these Jupiter/Saturn cases produce equatorial superrotation whereas the Uranus/Neptune cases produce equatorial subrotation, consistent with the observed equatorial-jet direction on these planets. Sensitivity tests show that water abundance, planetary rotation rate, and planetary radius are all controlling factors, with water playing the most important role; modest water abundances, large planetary radii, and fast rotation rates favor equatorial superrotation, whereas large water abundances favor equatorial subrotation regardless of the planetary radius and rotation rate. Given the larger radii, faster rotation rates, and probable lower water abundances of Jupiter and Saturn relative to Uranus and Neptune, our simulations therefore provide a possible mechanism for the existence of equatorial superrotation on Jupiter and Saturn and the lack of superrotation on Uranus and Neptune. Nevertheless, Saturn poses a possible difficulty, as our simulations were unable to explain the unusually high speed (∼) of that planet’s superrotating jet. The zonal jets in our simulations exhibit modest violations of the barotropic and Charney-Stern stability criteria. Overall, our simulations, while idealized, support the idea that latent heating plays an important role in generating the jets on the giant planets.