Abstract A study of seasonal radiative models for the giant planets is presented in connection with Voyager observations. Seasonal variations of temperature on Jupiter are predicted to be weak, although not negligible, because of the low obliquity of the planet. For Saturn, seasonal models succeed in interpreting the large-scale hemispheric asymmetry observed at tropopause levels at the Voyager encounter time. The stratospheric part of the temperature profiles obtained by radio-occultation techniques can be reproduced by models including a methane abundance equal to four times the solar value and negligible aerosol heating. For Uranus, seasonal radiative models correctly predict that the northern hemisphere, although not illuminated, emits as much energy as the southern one during the Voyager encounter. Fitting of the occultation profiles at the equator requires significant aerosol heating in the stratosphere. On the other hand, Voyager infrared measurements indicate that a dynamical redistribution of heat with latitude must occur in the convective troposphere of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. Preliminary modeling of the seasonal cycle of Neptune is finally presented. Negligible north-south asymmetry in the effective temperature or in the tropospheric thermal structure is predicted for the Voyager encounter, whereas the upper stratosphere should be warmer in the southern hemisphere than in the northern one.


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    Title :

    Seasonal thermal structure of the atmospheres of the giant planets


    Contributors:
    Bézard, B. (author)

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1989-01-01


    Size :

    10 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English






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