Abstract
The venusian polar dipoles are long-lived, elongated, warm features seen in images of thermal emission from the polar cloud tops of the planet. They are almost 4,000 km across, are centred close to the pole, and appear to rotate with a period of ∼3 days retrograde. The northern hemisphere dipole was first identified as such by the Orbiter Infrared Radiometer (OIR) on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO)1,2, and in this study we use OIR images at 11.5 µm to investigate its detailed rotation. Its rotation rate is observed to change steadily over the 72-day data set, and there is some evidence for oscillatory variations superimposed on this trend.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Taylor, F. W. et al. Science 205, 65–67 (1979).
Taylor, F. W. et al. J. geophys. Res. 85, 7963–8006 (1980).
Taylor, F. W. et al. Appl. Opt. 18, 3893–3900 (1979).
Taylor, F. W., McCleese, D. J. & Diner, D. J. Nature 279, 613–614 (1979).
Diner, D. J. Bull. Am. astr. Soc. 13, 725 (1981).
Rossow, W. B. et al. J. geophys. Res. 85, 8107–8128 (1980).
Limaye, S. S., Grund, C. J. & Burre, S. P. Icarus 51, 416–439 (1982).
Schubert, G. et al. J. geophys. Res. 85, 8007–8025 (1980).
Kawabata, K. et al. J. geophys. Res. 85, 8129–8140 (1980).
Suomi, V. E. & Limaye, S. S. Science 201, 1009–1011 (1978).
Schofield, J. T. & Taylor, F. W. Q. Jl R. met. Soc. 109, 57–80 (1983).
Kliore, A. J. & Patel, I. R. J. geophys. Res. 85, 7957–7962 (1980).
Cimino, J. B. et al. J. geophys. Res. 85, 8082–8088 (1980).
Counselman, C. C., Gourevitch, S. A., King, R. W. & Loriot, G. B. J. geophys. Res. 85, 8026–8030 (1980).
Apt, J. & Leung, J. Icarus 49, 427–437 (1982).
Del Genio, A. D. & Rossow, W. B. Icarus 51, 391–415 (1982).
Dollfus, A. J. atmos. Sci. 32, 1060–1070 (1975).
Diner, D. J., Apt, J. & Elson, L. S. Icarus 52, 301–319 (1982).
Diner, D. J., Westphal, J. A. & Schloerb, F. P. Icarus 27, 191–195 (1976).
Apt, J. & Goody, R. M. J. geophys. Res. 84, 2529–2538 (1979).
Valdes, P. J. Meet. European Gophysical Society, University of Leeds (1982).
Diner, D. J. & McCleese, D. J. 4th A. Planetary Atmospheres Principle Investigators Meet., Ann Arbor (1982).
Elson, L. S. J. atmos. Sci. 39, 2356–2362 (1982).
Leovy, C. B. Preprint (Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Washington, 1982).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schofield, J., Diner, D. Rotation of Venus's polar dipole. Nature 305, 116–119 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/305116a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/305116a0
This article is cited by
-
The Atmospheric Dynamics of Venus
Space Science Reviews (2017)
-
A chaotic long-lived vortex at the southern pole of Venus
Nature Geoscience (2013)
-
South-polar features on Venus similar to those near the north pole
Nature (2007)
-
Cloud structure on the dark side of Venus
Nature (1984)
-
Observations and theory of the solar semidiurnal tide in the mesosphere of Venus
Nature (1984)
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.
