Publication Abstracts

Rossow and Sagan 1975

Rossow, W.B., and C. Sagan, 1975: Microwave boundary conditions on the atmosphere and clouds of Venus. J. Atmos. Sci., 32, 1164-1176, doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1975)032<1164:MBCOTA>2.0.CO;2.

The dialectric properties of H2 and H2SO4 at microwave frequencies have been calculated from the Debye equations. The derived frequency and temperature dependence agrees well with existing data. The dielectric properties of H2/H2SO4 mixtures are deduced and, for a well-mixed atmosphere, the structure of H2 and H2/H2SO4 clouds is calculated. With the COSPAR model atmosphere and the calculated cloud models, the microwave properties of the atmosphere and clouds are determined. The 3.8 cm radar reflectivity of the planet, the Mariner 5 S-band occultation profile, and the passive microwave emission spectrum of the planet together set an upper limit on the mixing ratio by number of the H2 of ∼10-3 in the lower Venus atmosphere, and of H2SO4 of ∼10-5. The polarization value of the real part of the refractive index of the clouds, the spectroscopic limits on the abundance of water vapor above the clouds, and the microwave data together set corresponding upper limits on H2 of ∼9×10-6. Upper limits on the surface density of total cloud constituents and of cloud liquid water are, respectively, ∼0.1 g cm-2 and ∼0.01 g cm-2. The infrared opacities of 90 bars of CO2 together with the derived upper limits to the amounts of water vapor and liquid H2/H2SO4, may be sufficient to explain the high surface temperatures through the greenhouse effect.

Export citation: [ BibTeX ] [ RIS ]

BibTeX Citation

@article{ro08200o,
  author={Rossow, W. B. and Sagan, C.},
  title={Microwave boundary conditions on the atmosphere and clouds of Venus},
  year={1975},
  journal={Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences},
  volume={32},
  pages={1164--1176},
  doi={10.1175/1520-0469(1975)032%3C1164%3AMBCOTA%3E2.0.CO;2},
}

[ Close ]

RIS Citation

TY  - JOUR
ID  - ro08200o
AU  - Rossow, W. B.
AU  - Sagan, C.
PY  - 1975
TI  - Microwave boundary conditions on the atmosphere and clouds of Venus
JA  - J. Atmos. Sci.
JO  - Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
VL  - 32
SP  - 1164
EP  - 1176
DO  - 10.1175/1520-0469(1975)032%3C1164%3AMBCOTA%3E2.0.CO;2
ER  -

[ Close ]

• Return to 1975 Publications

• Return to Publications Homepage