Implications of the VEGA Balloon Results for Venus Atmospheric Dynamics.
Both VEGA balloons encountered vertical winds with typical velocities of 1 to 2 meters per second. These values are consistent with those estimated from mixing length theory of thermal convection. However, small-scale temperature fluctuations for each balloon were sometimes larger than predicted. The approximate 6.5-kelvin difference in temperature consistently seen between VEGA-1 and VEGA-2 is probably due to synoptic or planetary-scale nonaxisymmetric disturbances that propagate westward with respect to the planet. There is also evidence from Doppler data for the existence of solar-fixed nonaxisymmetric motions that may be thermal tides. Surface topography may influence atmospheric motions experienced by the VEGA-2 balloon.
Blamont
J E
JE
Young
R E
RE
Seiff
A
A
Ragent
B
B
Sagdeev
R
R
Linkin
V M
VM
Kerzhanovich
V V
VV
Ingersoll
A P
AP
Crisp
D
D
Elson
L S
LS
Preston
R A
RA
Golitsyn
G S
GS
Ivanov
V N
VN