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Nature 453, 163-164 (8 May 2008) | doi:10.1038/453163a; Published online 7 May 2008
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Planetary science: Music of the stratospheres
Timothy E. Dowling1
Abstract
Fifteen-year oscillations in Saturn's equatorial stratosphere bear a striking resemblance to the shorter-term oscillations seen on Earth and Jupiter — akin to notes played on a cello, a violin and a viola.
Planetary lower atmospheres — the tropospheres — are clamorous. If, in addition to sound waves, one could hear buoyancy waves, which have periods measured in minutes, and vorticity waves, which have periods measured in days, the effect would be a deafening cacophony of enormous range.
- Timothy E. Dowling is at the Comparative Planetology Laboratory, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, USA.
Email: dowling@louisville.edu
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