A bulk cloud parameterization in a Venus General Circulation Model

Lee, Christopher; Lewis, S. R.; Read, P. L.

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.09.017

Cited by 19 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…In addition, the mean upward wind of 1-2 mm s −1 which transports H 2 O and H 2 SO 4 vapors from the subcloud layer (∼40 km) to the cloud base (∼50 km) contributes to generating and maintaining the thick cloud base in low latitudes in their model. Lee et al (2010) also obtained the large mass loading in low latitudes, which is maintained by the strong mean meridional circulation as in Imamura and Hashimoto (1998). The structures of the mean meridional circulation assumed in Imamura and Hashimoto (1998) or obtained in Lee et al (2010) are significantly different from that obtained in the present study.…”

Section: Low-latitude Regioncontrasting

confidence: 82%

“…Lee et al (2010) also obtained the large mass loading in low latitudes, which is maintained by the strong mean meridional circulation as in Imamura and Hashimoto (1998). The structures of the mean meridional circulation assumed in Imamura and Hashimoto (1998) or obtained in Lee et al (2010) are significantly different from that obtained in the present study. The mass loading obtained by Yamamoto and Takahashi (2006) has also its maximum in low latitudes.…”

Section: Low-latitude Regioncontrasting

confidence: 82%

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Venusian Cloud Distribution Simulated by a General Circulation Model

et al. 2020

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We construct a simple cloud model for a Venus general circulation model (GCM), which includes condensable gases of H2O and H2SO4 vapors, and condensation, evaporation, and sedimentation of sulfuric acid cloud particles. The zonally averaged mass loading of the cloud reproduced in the model takes its maximum and minimum in high and middle latitudes, respectively. This latitudinal distribution is consistent with the infrared measurements. The thick cloud is formed in high latitudes at 43–55 km altitudes by vertical winds associated with disturbances enhanced in the low static stability layer. The moderately thick cloud in low latitudes is attributed mainly to the transport of H2SO4 vapor by the mean meridional circulation. The horizontal cloud distribution in low latitudes has zonal wave numbers 1 and 2 structures, which change in time significantly. These characteristics of the low‐latitude cloud would be associated with atmospheric waves in the cloud layer. The mixing ratio of H2O vapor increases with latitude in the cloud layer due to the vertical wind disturbances in the low static stability layer in high latitudes. This latitudinal trend is qualitatively consistent with the infrared measurements. The mixing ratio of H2SO4 vapor increases with latitude in the subcloud layer because a large amount of the cloud is evaporated there due to the sedimentation of cloud particles in the thick lower cloud in the polar region. The present results suggest that the Venus cloud distribution in the lower cloud layer is strongly affected by waves and/or disturbances as well as the mean meridional circulation.

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Section: Low-latitude Regioncontrasting

confidence: 82%

Section: Low-latitude Regioncontrasting

confidence: 82%

Venusian Cloud Distribution Simulated by a General Circulation Model

et al. 2020

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“…On the other hand, Lee et al . [] investigated the cloud structures produced by the circulation and eddy transport by implementing a passive cloud condensation scheme into a Venus general circulation model with a superrotating middle atmosphere. However, these two works fail to reproduce the highly variable morphology of the vortex.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential vorticity of the south polar vortex of Venus

et al. 2016

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Venus' atmosphere shows highly variable warm vortices over both of the planet's poles. The nature of the mechanism behind their formation and properties is still unknown. Potential vorticity is a conserved quantity when advective processes dominate over friction and diabatic heating and is a quantity frequently used to model balanced flows. As a step toward understanding the vortices' dynamics, we present maps of Ertel's potential vorticity (EPV) at Venus' south polar region. We analyze three configurations of the south polar vortex at the upper cloud level (P~240 mbar; z~58 km), based on our previous analyses of cloud motions and thermal structure from data acquired by the Visual and InfraRed Thermal Imaging Spectrometer instrument on board Venus Express. Additionally, we tentatively estimate EPV at the lower cloud level (P~2200 mbar; z~43 km), based on our previous wind measurements and on static stability data from Pioneer Venus and the Venus International Reference Atmosphere (VIRA) model. Values of EPV are on the order of 10 À6 and 10 À8 K m 2 kg À1 s À1 at the upper and lower cloud levels, respectively, being 3 times larger than the estimated errors. The morphology observed in EPV maps is mainly determined by the structures of the vertical component of the relative vorticity. This is in contrast to the vortex's morphology observed in 3.8 or 5 μm images which are related to the thermal structure of the atmosphere at the cloud top. Some of the EPV maps point to a weak ringed structure in the upper cloud, while a more homogenous EPV field is found in the lower cloud. GARATE-LOPEZ ET AL.VENUS POLAR VORTEX'S POTENTIAL VORTICITY 574 PUBLICATIONS

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“…In recent years, the Venusian polar atmosphere has been studied by general circulation models (GCMs). Lee et al [] examined the polar vortex reproduced in their Venusian GCM with a condensing cloud parameterization. In their simulation, the polar vortex is located away from the pole and slowly rotates around it.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertical structure of the axi‐asymmetric temperature disturbance in the Venusian polar atmosphere: Comparison between radio occultation measurements and GCM results

et al. 2017

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Vertical temperature profiles at 40–75 km around 80°N in the Venus polar vortex are retrieved over 13 Earth days almost continuously from radio occultation measurements (Venus Express radio occultation) in the Venus Express mission. They show periodical variations with a dominant period of ∼3.1 Earth days. These fluctuations are confined in an altitude range of 45–65 km with a local minimum at ∼58 km altitude, where the static stability abruptly increases with height. The phase of the temperature fluctuations is almost reversed at the 58 km level and varies little above and below this altitude. A numerical simulation of a Venusian atmospheric general circulation model (GCM) shows that the axi‐asymmetric temperature disturbance with zonal wave number 1 is predominant at 50–75 km levels in the model atmosphere. The vertical structure of the reproduced disturbance agrees quite well with that retrieved by the radio occultation measurement: amplitude of the temperature fluctuation has a local minimum and its phase is reversed at the altitude (65 km in the model) where the static stability rapidly changes as in the observations. Above and below this altitude, the phase is almost constant in the vertical direction. The relationship among the temperature, horizontal winds, and geopotential height associated with the simulated disturbance suggests that the axi‐asymmetric temperature disturbance observed in the Venus polar region can be interpreted as neutral barotropic Rossby waves related to barotropic instability in the polar region.

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A bulk cloud parameterization in a Venus General Circulation Model

Cited by 19 publications

References 26 publications

Venusian Cloud Distribution Simulated by a General Circulation Model

Venusian Cloud Distribution Simulated by a General Circulation Model

Potential vorticity of the south polar vortex of Venus

Vertical structure of the axi‐asymmetric temperature disturbance in the Venusian polar atmosphere: Comparison between radio occultation measurements and GCM results

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