Planetary-scale streak structure reproduced in high-resolution simulations of the Venus atmosphere with a low-stability layer

Hiroki Kashimura (), Norihiko Sugimoto, Masahiro Takagi, Yoshihisa Matsuda, Wataru Ohfuchi, Takeshi Enomoto, Kensuke Nakajima, Masaki Ishiwatari, Takao M. Sato, George L. Hashimoto, Takehiko Satoh, Yoshiyuki O. Takahashi and Yoshi-Yuki Hayashi
Additional contact information
Hiroki Kashimura: Kobe University
Norihiko Sugimoto: Keio University
Masahiro Takagi: Kyoto Sangyo University
Yoshihisa Matsuda: Tokyo Gakugei University
Wataru Ohfuchi: Kobe University
Takeshi Enomoto: Kyoto University
Kensuke Nakajima: Kyushu University
Masaki Ishiwatari: Hokkaido University
Takao M. Sato: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
George L. Hashimoto: Okayama University
Takehiko Satoh: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Yoshiyuki O. Takahashi: Kobe University
Yoshi-Yuki Hayashi: Kobe University

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Cloud patterns are important clues for revealing the atmospheric circulation of Venus. Recently, a planetary-scale streak structure has been discovered in middle- and lower-cloud images of Venus’ night-side taken by IR2, the 2-μm camera, on board the Akatsuki orbiter. However, its formation mechanism has not been investigated. Here we succeed, for the first time, in reproducing the patterns of the observed streak structure, as regions of strong downward flows that develop in high-resolution global simulations of the Venus atmosphere. The streaks are formed in both hemispheres with equatorial symmetry, which is caused by equatorial Rossby-like and Kelvin-like waves with zonal wavenumber one. The low-stability layer that has been suggested by past observations is essential for reproducing the streak structure. The streaks of downward flow result from the interaction of the meridionally tilted phase lines of the Rossby-like waves and the characteristics of baroclinic instability produced around the low-stability layer.

Date: 2019
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07919-y Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:10:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-07919-y

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07919-y

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().