Simulations of the latitudinal variability of CO-like and OCS-like passive tracers below the clouds of Venus using the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique GCM

International audienceThe lower atmosphere of Venus below the clouds is a transitional region between the relatively calm lowermost scale height and the super-rotating atmosphere in the cloud region and above. Any observational constraint is then welcome to help in the development of general circulation models of Venus, a difficult task considering the thickness of its atmosphere. Starting from a state-of-the-art 3D Venus GCM [Lebonnois et al., 2010], we have included passive tracers in order to investigate the latitudinal variability of two minor gaseous species, carbonyl sulfide (OCS) and carbon monoxide (CO), whose vertical profiles and mixing ratios are known to vary with latitude between 30 and 40 km [Marcq et al., 2008]. The relaxation to chemical equilibrium is crudely parametrized through a vertically uniform timescale τ. A satisfactory agreement with available observations is obtained with 108 s ≲ τCO ≲ 5 * 108 s and 107 s ≲ τOCS ≲ 10 s. These results, in addition to validating the general circulation below the clouds, are also helpful in characterizing the chemical kinetics of Venus' atmosphere. This complements the much more sophisticated chemical models which focus more on thermodynamical equilibrium [Yung et al., 2009; Krasnopolsky, 2007]

Latitudinal Variation of Clouds' Structure Responsible for Venus' Cold Collar

Global Climate Models (GCM) are very useful tools to study theoretically the general dynamics and specific phenomena in planetary atmospheres. In the case of Venus, several GCMs succeeded in reproducing the atmosphere's superrotation and the global temperature field. However, the highly variable polar temperature and the permanent cold collar have not been reproduced satisfactorily yet. Here we improve the radiative transfer scheme of the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace Venus GCM in order to numerically simulate the polar thermal features in Venus atmosphere. The main difference with the previous model is that we now take into account the latitudinal variation of the cloud structure. Both solar heating rates and infrared cooling rates have been modified to consider the cloud top's altitude decrease toward the poles and the variation in latitude of the different particle modes' abundances. A new structure that closely resembles the observed cold collar appears in the average temperature field at $2\times10^{4} - 4\times10^{3}$~Pa ($\sim62 - 66$~km) altitude range and $60^{\circ} - 90^{\circ}$ latitude band. It is not isolated from the pole as in the observation-based maps, but the obtained temperature values (220~K) are in good agreement with observed values. Temperature polar maps across this region show an inner warm region where the polar vortex is observed, but the obtained 230~K average value is colder than the observed mean value and the simulated horizontal structure does not show the fine-scale features present within the vortex. Our study shows that the cloud structure is essential in the cold collar formation. Although our analysis focuses on the improvement of the radiative forcing and the variations it causes in the thermal structure, polar dynamics is definitely affected by this modified environment and a noteworthy upwelling motion is found in the cold collar area

Turbulence modelling in Titan's zonal wind collapse

International audience1. Context The atmosphere of Titan is interesting by many aspects: it has the thickest atmosphere for a moon in the solar system, an atmosphere in superrotation in the stratosphere, an hemispheric asymmetry of temperature and an haze feedback of haze distribution on circulation between many others. There is another feature by which the atmosphere of Titan is unique, a strong decrease of the zonal wind between 60 and 100 km known as the "zonal wind collapse" (Fig-ure 1). The first measurement of this feature performed by ground-based radio-telescopes recording the Doppler Wind Experiment measurements of the carrier frequency during the Huygens descent [1]. The wind measured above 120 km was approximately of 100 m s −1. Then, below, the wind decreased to about few meters per seconds around 70 km before increasing again to 40 m s −1 at 60 km. 2. Our methodology 2.1 Principle Global Circulation Models (GCM) are powerful tools to study atmospheric circulations and have been employed to study the different planets of the solar system as well as Titan [2, 3, 4]. Although the different models are able to reproduce a realistic atmospheric circulation with superrotation, they fail to reproduce the observed zonal wind collapse characterized by a decrease towards only a few meters per second. We propose here to study for the first time this wind structure using turbulence-resolving model [5]. 2.2 Model description In order to investigate this peculiar wind feature we use the WRF compressible and non-hydrostatic dy-namical core to perform large-eddy simulation (LES) [6]. The timescale of the resolved turbulence is significantly smaller than the radiative timescale, comparable to one Titan year at this altitude [7], so no radiative Figure 1: Huygens temperature (K) and zonal wind profile (m s −1) between 50 and 100 km. processes are taken into account. The model is initialized using pressure, temperature and wind vertical profile as measured by the Huygens probe and shown in Figure 1. The atmospheric and planetary constants (gravity, heat capacity ...) within the model are set to Titan values. The horizontal grid spacing is 20 m spread over a 2 km-wide domain and the vertical grid features 300 levels from 60 to 90 km altitudes. 3. Wave generation Figure 2 displays the vertical wind (top) the associated vertical Eliassen-Palm flux (bottom) ρu w with ρ the density of the atmosphere and u and w the mean perturbation to the mean (domain-averaged) value of the zonal wind u and vertical wind w. The strong decrease of the zonal wind between 65 and 60 km causes a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability that leads to the generation of gravity waves. These waves propagates both towards the ground and towards the upper atmosphere. The dissipation of the wave engenders a momentum transfer to the flow and impacts the zonal wind

Dynamique troposphérique et évolution climatique de Titan et de la Terre primitive

Cette thèse porte sur l'étude des atmosphères de Titan et de la Terre primitive avec des modèles de circulation générale (GCM). Tout d'abord, j'ai analysé la structure thermique et la dynamique de la basse troposphère de Titan. Cette étude a abouti à une caractérisation complète de la couche limite et a révélé l'existence d'une circulation de couche limite, qui impacte tous les aspects de la météorologie titanienne (régimes de vents, ondes, formation des dunes et des nuages, échanges de moment cinétique et superrotation). A partir de cette analyse, j'ai proposé une nouvelle hypothèse pour expliquer l'orientation vers l'est des dunes de Titan grâce à un couplage entre les orages tropicaux et la superrotation. Ceci a été validé par des simulations méso-échelles et a permis de proposer un schéma global expliquant la formation des dunes et leurs différentes caractéristiques. J'ai ensuite participé au développement d'un GCM générique, conçu pour étudier tout type d'atmosphère. Je l'ai appliqué aux paléoclimats de Titan pour simuler une période où l'atmosphère a pu être dépourvue de méthane. Dans ce cas, le climat devait être différent d'aujourd'hui avec potentiellement des conséquences géologiques fondamentales notamment pour l'érosion et l'âge de la surface. Finalement, j'ai appliqué ce GCM générique au cas de la Terre primitive. J'ai montré que, malgré un soleil moins lumineux qu'aujourd'hui et des quantités de gaz à effet de serre contraintes par les archives minéralogiques, le climat de la Terre Archéenne a pu être tempérée. En particulier, grâce à une rétro-action nuageuse, la Terre aurait pu éviter une glaciation globale et rester propice au développement de la vie.This thesis focuses on the study of the atmospheres of Titan and the early Earth with Global Climate Models (GCM). First, I analysed the thermal structure and the dynamics of Titan's lower troposphere. This analysis allowed a full caracterization of the planetary boundary layer and revealed the existence of a boundary layer circulation which impacts every aspect of Titan's weather (wind patterns, atmospheric waves, dune and cloud formation, exchange of momentum with the surface, and development of the superrotation). Thanks to this study, I proposed a new hypothesis to explain the eastward orientation of Titan's dunes that implies a coupling between tropical storms and the superrotation. This has been validated with mesoscale simulations and provided a general framework to explain Titan's dune formation and features. Then, I participated to the development of a generic GCM, designed to study any kind of atmosphere. I applied it to Titan's paleoclimates, when the atmosphere was depleted of methane. In such a case, the climate should have been different from today, with potentially fundamental geological consequences, in particular for the erosion and the age of the surface. Finally, I applied this GCM to the case of the early Earth using greenhouse gas abundances constrained by mineralogical data. I showed that despite a weaker solar insolation, the Archean Earth's climate may have been temperate. In particular, the Earth may have avoided a full glaciation and remained suitable for the development of life thanks to cloud feedback, even assuming a amount of CO2 just a little larger than today.PARIS-JUSSIEU-Bib.électronique (751059901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Net-Exchange parameterization of infrared radiative transfers in Venus' atmosphere

International audienceThermal radiation within Venus atmosphere is analyzed in close details. Prominent features are identified, which are then used to design a parameterization (a highly simplified and yet accurate enough model) to be used in General Circulation Models. The analysis is based on a net exchange formulation, using a set of gaseous and cloud optical data chosen among available referenced data. The accuracy of the proposed parameterization methodology is controlled against Monte Carlo simulations, assuming that the optical data are exact. Then, the accuracy level corresponding to our present optical data choice is discussed by comparison with available observations, concentrating on the most unknown aspects of Venus thermal radiation, namely the deep atmosphere opacity and the cloud composition and structure

Angular momentum budget in General Circulation Models of superrotating atmospheres: A critical diagnostic

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/96272/1/jgre3137.pd

An experimental study of the mixing of CO₂ and N₂ under conditions found at the surface of Venus

Based on the only reliable temperature profile available in the deepest ∼10 km layer above Venus’ surface (obtained by the VeGa-2 landing probe), the mixing conditions of the main constituents of Venus’s atmosphere, CO₂ and N₂, have been questioned. In this work, we report the results of a series of experiments that were done in the GEER facility at Glenn Research Center to investigate the homogeneity of CO₂/N₂ gas mixtures at 100 bars and temperatures ranging from ∼296 K to ∼735 K. When the gas mixtures are initially well-mixed, separation of the two gases based on their molecular mass does not occur over the time scales observed; although, small systematic variations in composition remain to be fully interpreted. However, when N₂ is injected on top of CO₂ (layered fill), the very large density ratio makes it more difficult to mix the two chemical species. Timescales of mixing are of the order of 10² hours over the height of the test vessel (roughly 60 cm), and even longer when the gas mixture is at rest and only molecular diffusion is occurring. At room temperature, close to the critical point of the mixture, large pressure variations are obtained for the layered fill, as N₂ slowly mixes into CO₂. This can be explained by large density variations induced by the mixing. For conditions relevant to the near-surface atmosphere of Venus, separation of CO₂ and N₂ based on their molecular mass and due to physical properties of the gas mixture is not demonstrated, but can not be firmly excluded either. This suggests that if the compositional vertical gradient deduced from the VeGa-2 temperature profile is to be trusted, it would most probably be due to some extrinsic processes (not related to gas properties, e.g. CO₂ volcanic inputs) and large mixing time constants

Seasonal evolution of C ₂ N ₂, C ₃ H ₄, and C ₄ H ₂ abundances in Titan's lower stratosphere

International audienceAims. We study the seasonal evolution of Titan’s lower stratosphere (around 15 mbar) in order to better understand the atmospheric dynamics and chemistry in this part of the atmosphere.Methods. We analysed Cassini/CIRS far-IR observations from 2006 to 2016 in order to measure the seasonal variations of three photochemical by-products: C4H2, C3H4, and C2N2.Results. We show that the abundances of these three gases have evolved significantly at northern and southern high latitudes since 2006. We measure a sudden and steep increase of the volume mixing ratios of C4H2, C3H4, and C2N2 at the south pole from 2012 to 2013, whereas the abundances of these gases remained approximately constant at the north pole over the same period. At northern mid-latitudes, C2N2 and C4H2 abundances decrease after 2012 while C3H4 abundances stay constant. The comparison of these volume mixing ratio variations with the predictions of photochemical and dynamical models provides constraints on the seasonal evolution of atmospheric circulation and chemical processes at play

Methane storms as a driver of Titan's dune orientation

Titan's equatorial regions are covered by eastward propagating linear dunes. This direction is opposite to mean surface winds simulated by Global Climate Models (GCMs), which are oriented westward at these latitudes, similar to trade winds on Earth. Different hypotheses have been proposed to address this apparent contradiction, involving Saturn's gravitational tides, large scale topography or wind statistics, but none of them can explain a global eastward dune propagation in the equatorial band. Here we analyse the impact of equinoctial tropical methane storms developing in the superrotating atmosphere (i.e. the eastward winds at high altitude) on Titan's dune orientation. Using mesoscale simulations of convective methane clouds with a GCM wind profile featuring superrotation, we show that Titan's storms should produce fast eastward gust fronts above the surface. Such gusts dominate the aeolian transport, allowing dunes to extend eastward. This analysis therefore suggests a coupling between superrotation, tropical methane storms and dune formation on Titan. Furthermore, together with GCM predictions and analogies to some terrestrial dune fields, this work provides a general framework explaining several major features of Titan's dunes: linear shape, eastward propagation and poleward divergence, and implies an equatorial origin of Titan's dune sand.Comment: Published online on Nature Geoscience on 13 April 201