Statistics – Applications
Scientific paper
Dec 1996
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996esasp.392..329h&link_type=abstract
Environment Modelling for Space-based Applications, Symposium Proceedings (ESA SP-392). ESTEC Noordwijk, 18-20 September 1996. E
Statistics
Applications
Scientific paper
Numerical simulation of the atmospheric circulation with "General Circulation Models" (GCMs) has now become an essential tool for the study of the Earth climate as well as for weather forecasting. GCMs are based on the numerical integration of the equations of hydrodynamics on the sphere. This part of the code is general enough to be applied to all atmospheres of terrestrial type (i. e. atmospheres whose depth is small in comparison to the planetary radius, and which remain vertically in hydrostatic balance on large horizontal scales). GCMs also contain a set of "physical parametrisations": mainly a representation of small scale turbulent mixing in the Planetary Boundary Layer and a representation of absorption, emission and scattering of radiation (solar and thermal infrared). Contrary to the purely 'dynamical' part of GCMs, the representation of radiation is very specific to each planet, and may require substantial work when adapting a model to the conditions of a new planet. Starting as early as the late sixtie's, GCMs have been applied successfully to the simulation of the circulation of the atmosphere of Mars, and have proved to be a very useful tool for the preparation and exploitation of spatial missions to that planet. As concerns Venus, only a few experiments have been performed so far. The main challenge is there the simulation of the atmospheric superrotation: the cloud cover, near 70 km, rotates with a period of 4 terrestrial days, much faster than the solid planet (250 days).In idealized conditions, GCMs have been able to simulate a strong atmospheric superrotation. Atmospheric superrotation has also been obtained with a model of the atmosphere of Titan developed at Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique as part of the preparation of the Cassini-Huygens mission. The existence of superrotation on Titan seems to be now firmly established from two independent sets of observations. In the numerical simulations performed at LMD, superrotation is caused by a net upward transport of angular momentum by the mean meridional Hadley-like circulation, with large scale barotropic eddies playing an essential role by transporting angular momentum toward the equator. Following a preliminary work by Tourte several years ago, we now plan to develop a full GCM of the atmosphere of Venus.The development of a specific radiative code is already under way. The first scientific goal is to validate the simulations of atmospheric superrotation against the observations, which are relatively much more abundant on Venus than on Titan. Of course, a GCM of the Venusian atmosphere could also be used in the future for the preparation and exploitation of space missions.
Bzard Bruno
Courtin Rgis
Dufresne Jean-Louis
Fournier Richard
Gautier Daniel
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