Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufm.p31a1519m&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #P31A-1519
Physics
[0320] Atmospheric Composition And Structure / Cloud Physics And Chemistry, [0343] Atmospheric Composition And Structure / Planetary Atmospheres, [5704] Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets / Atmospheres, [5709] Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets / Composition
Scientific paper
The Equilibrium Cloud Condensation Model (ECCM) is quite successful in predicting the location and structure of multi-layer clouds in the tropospheres of the giant planets (Weidenschilling and Lewis, 1973; Atreya and Romani 1985; Atreya and Wong, 2005). The calculated cloud concentrations represent an upper limit, however (Atreya et al., 1999), since it does not account for precipitation. Except for the topmost cloud layer of ammonia-ice at Jupiter and Saturn, and methane-ice at Uranus and Neptune, the structure of the giant planet clouds remains mysterious to this day. The Galileo probe, which was designed to measure the characteristics of Jupiter’s cloud, failed to do so as it entered a meteorologically anomalous (five-micron) hotspot. Indications from the Galileo and Cassini imaging observations (Gierasch et al., 2000; Dyudina et al., 2003) are that a water cloud below the topmost cloud of ammonia does exist at Jupiter, and at Saturn (Dyudina et al., 2009 or 2010, from Cassini), but the imaging data are only for a few spots where the tops of thunderheads could be imaged. Thus it is not possible to determine either the base or the concentration of the water cloud. However, these data are in general consistent with the presence of an ECCM-predicted thick water cloud below the thunderheads. Starting with the first order results on the cloud structure and concentrations based on ECCM, here we attempt to determine the effect of particle/droplet sedimentation on the concentration of water clouds at Jupiter, following the preliminary formulation of cloud microphysics developed by Rossow (1978) and Ackerman and Marley (2001). We find that sedimentation alone can deplete the concentration by several factors of ten, consistent with the experience in the Earth’s troposphere.
Atreya Sushil K.
Mihalka K.
No associations
LandOfFree
The effect of precipitation on the cloud concentration at Jupiter 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 The effect of precipitation on the cloud concentration at Jupiter, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The effect of precipitation on the cloud concentration at Jupiter will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1496217