Venus: atmospheric motion and structure from mariner 10 pictures.
The Mariner 10 television camieras imaged the planet Venus in the visible and near ultraviolet for a period of 8 days at resolutions ranging from 100 meters to 130 kilometers. Tle general pattern of the atmospheric circulation in the upper tropospheric/lower stratospheric region is displayed in the pictures. Atmospheric flow is symmetrical between north and south hemispheres. The equatorial motions are zonal (east-west) at approxiimnately 100 meters per second, consistent with the previously inferred 4-day retrograde rotation. Angular velocity increases with latitude. The subsolar region, and the region downwind from it, show evidence of large-scale convection that persists in spite of the main zonal motion. Dynamical interaction between the zonal motion and the relatively stationary region of convection is evidenced by bowlike waves.
Murray
B C
BC
Belton
M J
MJ
Danielson
G E
GE
Davies
M E
ME
Gault
D
D
Hapke
B
B
O'leary
B
B
Strom
R G
RG
Suomi
V
V
Trask
N
N