“A possible pattern for the meridional circulation in the atmosphere of Venus”
Above per the caption associated with a diagrammatical representation (Figure 6-37) of the image, from “PIONEERING VENUS: A Planet Unveiled” co-written by Richard O. Fimmel, Lawrence Colin & Eric Burgess, from whose estate it originates.
With the following pertinent/accompanying extract:
“Dynamical Processes
The cloud system is embedded in the general circulation of the atmosphere at altitudes of greatest wind velocity and vertical wind shear. Atmospheric motions consist mainly of a zonal circulation. The atmosphere moves from east to west with velocities increasing from a few meters per second at the surface to sometimes as high as 150m/sec (490 ft/sec) at cloud tops. The average cloud top velocity corresponds roughly to the four-day circulation.
Also, the data suggest a major, although much slower, north-south circulation at several meters per second. It occurs at altitudes corresponding to the cloud region. There seems to be atmospheric movement from equator to poles at altitudes corresponding to the tops of the clouds. The movement subsides at the poles. Return flow toward the equator is at altitudes that match the lower part of the main cloud region. The atmosphere rises again near the equatorial region. Such north-south cellular motions are called Hadley cells. The combination of east-west and north-south motions produces vortices in the polar region. These affect the haze layer and produce an apparent cloud top depression in the vortices. They also might be the reason for the “pileup” of high latitude hazes and the even higher latitude “cold ring” observed by the Orbiter’s instruments. Figure 6-37 is a schematic drawing of the suggested circulation pattern.”
At a Tamil website, with a very similar image, the cells - from the planet’s surface outward - are labeled as follows: SURFACE CIRCULATION CELL (brown), MID-ALTITUDE CELLS (lavender?), SUB-CLOUD CELL (blue), CIRCULATION DRIVER CELL (CLOUD LAYER) (light tan) & tenuous-looking STRATOSPHERE CELL. The other labeled features such as SURFACE, POLAR VORTICES & CLOUD TOPS are self-evident.
Accompanied by the following, taken from whatever original source document was cited:
“Venus’ atmospheric circulations: Solar energy is absorbed in the cloud layer, which covers the planet. The upper layer carries heat from the equator to the poles where it sinks, returns to the equator, heats, and rises again. The driver cell engages other cells above and below it, like a train of counter-rotating gears, mixing the planet’s atmosphere thoroughly.”
Respectively, the above are from:
www.scribd.com/document/46302082/Pioneering-Venus-a-Plane...
Credit: SCRIBD website
old.thinnai.com/?p=40309112
Credit: திண்ணை: தமிழின் முதல் இணைய வாரப்பத்திரிக்கை (Tinnai: Tamil's first web weekly) website
Artwork by Rick Guidice.
