Temporally, Meridionally, and Vertically Variable Hydrocarbon Abundances in the Saturnian Stratosphere: an Improved Radiative Seasonal Climate Model

Details Temporally, Meridionally, and Vertically Variable Hydrocarbon Abundances in the Saturnian Stratosphere: an Improved Radiative Seasonal Climate Model Temporally, Meridionally, and Vertically Variable Hydrocarbon Abundances in the Saturnian Stratosphere: an Improved Radiative Seasonal Climate Model

Dec 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...211.8503s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #211, #85.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.877

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

I present results from an improved multilayer radiative seasonal climate model for the study of Saturnian stratospheric temperatures. This research forms part of my PhD dissertation at the University of Texas at Austin. The model incorporates stratospheric heating due to CH4 absorption of sunlight and cooling from CH4, C2H2, and C2H6 line emission along with H2-H2, H2-He, and H2-CH4 collision induced continuum emissions within the spectral range of 0 to 1x105 cm-1. Here, I discuss the effects that meridional, vertical, and temporal hydrocarbon abundance variations have on seasonal stratospheric temperatures on Saturn. I compare the results with earlier models (Bezard et al. 1985 and Conrath et al. 1990) and to recent observations by Greathouse et al. 2005, Orton et al. 2005, Flasar et al. 2005, and Howett et al. 2007. Unlike earlier models where the hydrocarbon abundances were held constant, my model exhibits increasing temperatures from equator to pole at southern summer solstice (2002) between 1x10-4 and 10 mbar. This behavior is consistent with current thermal infrared observations and has been produced without necessitating the inclusion of upwelling at the equator and subsidence at the poles, as has been suggested (Flasar et al. 2005). The seasonally dependent insolation produces significant hemispheric asymmetries in temperature, which lessen with increasing pressure due to increasing thermal inertia and decreasing seasonal responsivity. Maximum summer temperatures lag the summer solstice by 0 to 6 Earth years, as a function of atmospheric pressure and latitude, with the largest lag occurring at the highest pressures. These values are significantly less then those derived for Saturn by Conrath et al (1990). I find that high in the southern polar stratosphere at 0.01 mbar and above, peak summer temperatures precede the summer solstice by up to 5 years.
This work has been sponsored by the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Temporally, Meridionally, and Vertically Variable Hydrocarbon Abundances in the Saturnian Stratosphere: an Improved Radiative Seasonal Climate Model does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Temporally, Meridionally, and Vertically Variable Hydrocarbon Abundances in the Saturnian Stratosphere: an Improved Radiative Seasonal Climate Model, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Temporally, Meridionally, and Vertically Variable Hydrocarbon Abundances in the Saturnian Stratosphere: an Improved Radiative Seasonal Climate Model will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1478756