Abstract
Fully developed superrotation is reproduced for the first time in very long term simulations with a dynamical Venus general circulation model (GCM) driven by a zonally averaged component of the realistic solar heating only. Starting from a motionless state with temperature distribution including a low static stability layer in the lower cloud layer, the fast superrotating zonal flow of ~100 m/s is established after 500 Earth years. In this experiment, the mean meridional circulation is responsible for generating the superrotation, because effects of thermal tides, topography, radiation process, and cloud physics are excluded in the present simulations. Sensitivity experiments indicate that the vertical eddy viscosity smaller than 0.02 m 2 /s is necessary for the fast superrotation to appear. The low static stability layer also strongly affects the superrotation with high-latitude jets through angular momentum transport by baroclinic/barotropic instability in the cloud layer.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1776-1784 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 Feb 16 |
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Keywords
- baroclinic instability
- GCM
- mean meridional circulation
- superrotation
- Venus atmosphere
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geophysics
- Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)
Cite this
Fully Developed Superrotation Driven by the Mean Meridional Circulation in a Venus GCM. / Sugimoto, Norihiko; Takagi, Masahiro; Matsuda, Yoshihisa.
In: Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, No. 3, 16.02.2019, p. 1776-1784.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Fully Developed Superrotation Driven by the Mean Meridional Circulation in a Venus GCM
AU - Sugimoto, Norihiko
AU - Takagi, Masahiro
AU - Matsuda, Yoshihisa
PY - 2019/2/16
Y1 - 2019/2/16
N2 - Fully developed superrotation is reproduced for the first time in very long term simulations with a dynamical Venus general circulation model (GCM) driven by a zonally averaged component of the realistic solar heating only. Starting from a motionless state with temperature distribution including a low static stability layer in the lower cloud layer, the fast superrotating zonal flow of ~100 m/s is established after 500 Earth years. In this experiment, the mean meridional circulation is responsible for generating the superrotation, because effects of thermal tides, topography, radiation process, and cloud physics are excluded in the present simulations. Sensitivity experiments indicate that the vertical eddy viscosity smaller than 0.02 m 2 /s is necessary for the fast superrotation to appear. The low static stability layer also strongly affects the superrotation with high-latitude jets through angular momentum transport by baroclinic/barotropic instability in the cloud layer.
AB - Fully developed superrotation is reproduced for the first time in very long term simulations with a dynamical Venus general circulation model (GCM) driven by a zonally averaged component of the realistic solar heating only. Starting from a motionless state with temperature distribution including a low static stability layer in the lower cloud layer, the fast superrotating zonal flow of ~100 m/s is established after 500 Earth years. In this experiment, the mean meridional circulation is responsible for generating the superrotation, because effects of thermal tides, topography, radiation process, and cloud physics are excluded in the present simulations. Sensitivity experiments indicate that the vertical eddy viscosity smaller than 0.02 m 2 /s is necessary for the fast superrotation to appear. The low static stability layer also strongly affects the superrotation with high-latitude jets through angular momentum transport by baroclinic/barotropic instability in the cloud layer.
KW - baroclinic instability
KW - GCM
KW - mean meridional circulation
KW - superrotation
KW - Venus atmosphere
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061343349&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1029/2018GL080917
DO - 10.1029/2018GL080917
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85061343349
VL - 46
SP - 1776
EP - 1784
JO - Geophysical Research Letters
JF - Geophysical Research Letters
SN - 0094-8276
IS - 3
ER -