Vertical structure of tropospheric winds on gas giants
Abstract Zonal mean zonal velocity profiles from cloud‐tracking observations on Jupiter and Saturn are used to infer latitudinal variations of potential temperature consistent with a shear stable potential vorticity distribution. Immediately below the cloud tops, density stratification is weaker on...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2017-04-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL072628 |
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| _version_ | 1849725740584534016 |
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| author | R. K. Scott T. J. Dunkerton |
| author_facet | R. K. Scott T. J. Dunkerton |
| author_sort | R. K. Scott |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Zonal mean zonal velocity profiles from cloud‐tracking observations on Jupiter and Saturn are used to infer latitudinal variations of potential temperature consistent with a shear stable potential vorticity distribution. Immediately below the cloud tops, density stratification is weaker on the poleward and stronger on the equatorward flanks of midlatitude jets, while at greater depth the opposite relation holds. Thermal wind balance then yields the associated vertical shears of midlatitude jets in an altitude range bounded above by the cloud tops and bounded below by the level where the latitudinal gradient of static stability changes sign. The inferred vertical shear below the cloud tops is consistent with existing thermal profiling of the upper troposphere. The sense of the associated mean meridional circulation in the upper troposphere is discussed, and expected magnitudes are given based on existing estimates of the radiative timescale on each planet. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1069c9da1a1f43a79d6fa762dcc13b2e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2017-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geophysical Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-1069c9da1a1f43a79d6fa762dcc13b2e2025-08-20T03:10:24ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072017-04-014473073308110.1002/2017GL072628Vertical structure of tropospheric winds on gas giantsR. K. Scott0T. J. Dunkerton1School of Mathematics and Statistics University of St Andrews St Andrews UKNorthWest Research Associates Seattle Washington USAAbstract Zonal mean zonal velocity profiles from cloud‐tracking observations on Jupiter and Saturn are used to infer latitudinal variations of potential temperature consistent with a shear stable potential vorticity distribution. Immediately below the cloud tops, density stratification is weaker on the poleward and stronger on the equatorward flanks of midlatitude jets, while at greater depth the opposite relation holds. Thermal wind balance then yields the associated vertical shears of midlatitude jets in an altitude range bounded above by the cloud tops and bounded below by the level where the latitudinal gradient of static stability changes sign. The inferred vertical shear below the cloud tops is consistent with existing thermal profiling of the upper troposphere. The sense of the associated mean meridional circulation in the upper troposphere is discussed, and expected magnitudes are given based on existing estimates of the radiative timescale on each planet.https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL072628zonal jetspotential vorticitygas giant planetsvertical shearstability |
| spellingShingle | R. K. Scott T. J. Dunkerton Vertical structure of tropospheric winds on gas giants Geophysical Research Letters zonal jets potential vorticity gas giant planets vertical shear stability |
| title | Vertical structure of tropospheric winds on gas giants |
| title_full | Vertical structure of tropospheric winds on gas giants |
| title_fullStr | Vertical structure of tropospheric winds on gas giants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vertical structure of tropospheric winds on gas giants |
| title_short | Vertical structure of tropospheric winds on gas giants |
| title_sort | vertical structure of tropospheric winds on gas giants |
| topic | zonal jets potential vorticity gas giant planets vertical shear stability |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL072628 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rkscott verticalstructureoftroposphericwindsongasgiants AT tjdunkerton verticalstructureoftroposphericwindsongasgiants |