Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

The range and unity of planetary circulations

Abstract

Altering the rotation rate, obliquity and diurnal period of an Earth-like model atmosphere produces a wide range of circulation forms, some of which resemble those observed on Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and (perhaps) on Uranus and Neptune. These unified solutions suggest: that Jupiter and Saturn resemble a larger, faster-spinning Earth and possess a stress-bearing or momentum-exchanging sublayer-, that easterly winds prevail in Uranus' summer hemisphere; and that Venus resembles a slowly rotating Earth if diurnal heating variations are included.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lorenz, E. N. WMO Monogr. 218, 1 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Williams, G. P. Nature 257, 778 (1975); J. atmos. Sci. 35, 1399 (1978); 36, 932, 1409 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Leovy, C. B. A. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 17, 387 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Rhines, P. B. A. Rev. Fluid Mech. 11, 401 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hunt, B. G. Nature 281, 188 (1979); J. atmos. Sci. 36, 1392 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Manabe, S., Hahn, D. G. & Holloway, J. L. Jr WMO/GARP Publ. Ser. 22, 41 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Holloway, J. L. & Manabe, S. Mon. Weath. Rev. 99, 335 (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gordon, C. T. & Stern, W. WMO/GARP Publ. Ser. 7, 46 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bourke, W. et al. Meth. Computat. Phys. 17, 267 (1977).

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  10. Gierasch, P. J. J. atmos. Sci. 32, 1038 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Rossow, W. B. & Williams, G. P. J. atmos. Sci. 36, 377 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Marov, M. Y. A. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 16, 141 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Schubert, G. et al. J. geophys. Res. 85, 8007 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rossow, W. B. et al. J. geophys. Res. 85, 8107 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Leovy, C. B. J. atmos. Sci. 30, 1218 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hide, R. Nature 190, 895 (1961).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Smith, B. A. et al. Science 212, 163 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Smith, B. A. et al. Science 215, 504 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Williams, G., Holloway, J. The range and unity of planetary circulations. Nature 297, 295–299 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/297295a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/297295a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing