The origin of belt/zone contrasts in the atmosphere of Jupiter and their correlation with 5-micron opacity
Icarus 149 (2001) 397-415
The origin of belt/zone contrasts in the atmosphere of Jupiter and their correlation with 5-μm opacity
ICARUS 149:2 (2001) 397-415
Proximate humid and dry regions in Jupiter's atmosphere indicate complex local meteorology
Nature 405:6783 (2000) 158-160
Abstract:
Models of Jupiter's formation and structure predict that its atmosphere is enriched in oxygen, relative to the Sun, and that consequently water clouds should be present globally near the 5-bar pressure level. Past attempts to confirm these predictions have led to contradictory results; in particular, the Galileo probe revealed a very dry atmosphere at the entry site, with no significant clouds at depths exceeding the 2-bar level. Although the entry site was known to be relatively cloud-free, the contrast between the observed local dryness and the expected global wetness was surprising. Here we analyse near-infrared (around 5 μm) observations of Jupiter, a spectral region that can reveal the water vapour abundance and vertical cloud structure in the troposphere. We find that humid and extremely dry regions exist in close proximity, and that some humid regions are spatially correlated with bright convective clouds extending from the deep water clouds to the visible atmosphere.The atmosphere of Mars
JBIS - Journal of the British Interplanetary Society 52:5-6 (1999) 209-216
Abstract:
Mars, one of the most Earth-like of the planets, is today a cold, dry and barren world. However, there is good evidence that it may have been much warmer and wetter in the past and perhaps even supported life. The public interest aroused by these findings and by recent studies of 'SNC' meteorites, believed to have come from Mars, with their claims of the evidence of ancient Martian life, has focused attention on the ambitious programme of Mars Exploration currently being undertaken by NASA and ESA and has provided additional impetus. Improved measurements of the conditions on Mars' surface and in its atmosphere are central to both agencies' plans, and current atmospheric missions are reviewed in this paper together with possible future designs.The clouds of Jupiter
Astronomy & Geophysics Oxford University Press (OUP) 40:3 (1999) 3.21-3.25