title: Implications of the VEGA Balloon Results for Venus Atmospheric Dynamics.
abstract: 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.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Blamont
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Seiff
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ragent
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sagdeev
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Linkin
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Kerzhanovich
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ingersoll
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crisp
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Elson
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Preston
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Golitsyn
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Ivanov