Venusian clouds from Venera 15 data.
Abstract
Spectra of infrared thermal emission of Venus contain an important information concerning composition and structure (altitude and horizontal) of upper clouds. Inside the latitude range between approximately 60° S and 60° N they demonstrate H2SO4 absorption bands near 11 and 22 μm. At the higher latitudes these bands are less pronounced and even disappear. Quantitative analysis shows that this could be explained by the change of structure of clouds and temperature profiles. Self-consistent retrieval of altitude profiles of cloud volume absorption coefficient and temperature profiles was fulfilled for the main bulk of Venera-15 infrared spectra. Examples of these profiles in the range from 55 - 60 km to 90 km are presented and general properties of upper clouds and haze (including latitude and time variations) derived from these data are described.
- Publication:
-
Middle Atmosphere of Venus
- Pub Date:
- 1990
- Bibcode:
- 1990mav..book..217Z
- Keywords:
-
- Aerosols;
- Atmospheric Density;
- Infrared Spectra;
- Thermal Emission;
- Venus Atmosphere;
- Venus Clouds;
- Absorption Spectra;
- Carbon Dioxide;
- Cloud Cover;
- Optical Thickness;
- Spectral Bands;
- Temperature Profiles;
- Venera Satellites;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration;
- Venus Atmosphere: Clouds;
- Venus Atmosphere: Thermal Radiation;
- Venus Atmosphere: Infrared Radiation;
- Venus Atmosphere: Infrared Spectra;
- Venus Atmosphere: Aerosols