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Detailed Reference Information |
Sromovsky, L.A., Revercomb, H.E., Krauss, R.J. and Suomi, V.E. (1983). Voyager 2 Observations of Saturn’s Northern Mid-Latitude Cloud Features: Morphology, Motions, and Evolution. Journal of Geophysical Research 88. doi: 10.1029/JA080i011p08650. issn: 0148-0227. |
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Voyager 2 images provide a basis for detailed study of the morphology and circulation of Saturn's northern mid-latitudes. Both Saturn's large-scale cloud bands and the distribution of its local cloud features have a characteristic zonal organization. The region between 30¿N and 45¿N contains two oppositely directed jets in close proximity, with many bright, active features in the westward jet, and an unusual ribbon-like wave feature encircling the planet in the eastward jet. Several of the smaller features within the westward jet do not remain at fixed latitudes and interact with each other. One groups of v-shaped features is found to have periods of high activity correlated with the passage of a cyclonic bright spot. The ribbon wave was Fourier analyzed to determine its spectral composition. The greatest power is near wave number 9, with significant additional peaks appearing at planetary wave number 19, 25--27, 35--38, and 47--51. The phase velocity increases increases with wave number but is not well described by a Rossby-Haurwitz dispersion relation. The curvature of the mean wind profile obtained from cloud tracking indicates that the westward jet exceeds the standard barotropic instability condition, while the eastward jet marginally exceeds the deep-circulation instability condition of Ingersoll and Pollard (1982). The rms eddy velocities on Saturn are less than half as large as those observed on Jupiter. |
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Publisher
American Geophysical Union 2000 Florida Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009-1277 USA 1-202-462-6900 1-202-328-0566 service@agu.org |
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