Open AccessAn aerosol transport model based on a two‐moment microphysical parameterization in the Venus middle atmosphere: Model description and preliminary experiments
Author(s) -
Yamamoto Masaru,
Takahashi Masaaki
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: planets
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2006je002688
Subject(s) - equator , venus , aerosol , atmospheric sciences , zonal and meridional , atmosphere (unit) , atmosphere of venus , haze , environmental science , climatology , geology , latitude , meteorology , physics , astrobiology , geodesy
On Venus, the upper haze layer (70–90 km) is observed above the cloud layer (48–70 km). An aerosol transport model using a two‐moment microphysical parameterization for the cloud and upper haze is developed and is applied to a wide height range of 24–94 km. The latitudinal dependence of the SO 2 oxidation mainly leads to the equator‐pole contrast of the aerosol mass loading, and the meridional circulation weakens the equator‐pole contrast of the mass loading through the poleward mass transport. The equator‐pole contrast of the aerosol number concentration is enhanced by the meridional circulation in the middle atmosphere. The haze transport due to the meridional circulation should be considered as an important process in the formation of the equator‐pole contrast of the Venus cloud structure.