Dynamics of Saturn's south polar vortex.
The camera onboard the Cassini spacecraft has allowed us to observe many of Saturn's cloud features. We present observations of Saturn's south polar vortex (SPV) showing that it shares some properties with terrestrial hurricanes: cyclonic circulation, warm central region (the eye) surrounded by a ring of high clouds (the eye wall), and convective clouds outside the eye. The polar location and the absence of an ocean are major differences. It also shares properties with the polar vortices on Venus, such as polar location, cyclonic circulation, warm center, and long lifetime, but the Venus vortices have cold collars and are not associated with convective clouds. The SPV's combination of properties is unique among vortices in the solar system.
Dyudina
Ulyana A
UA
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA. ulyana@gps.caltech.edu
Ingersoll
Andrew P
AP
Ewald
Shawn P
SP
Vasavada
Ashwin R
AR
West
Robert A
RA
Del Genio
Anthony D
AD
Barbara
John M
JM
Porco
Carolyn C
CC
Achterberg
Richard K
RK
Flasar
F Michael
FM
Simon-Miller
Amy A
AA
Fletcher
Leigh N
LN