HR: 0800h
AN: P41A-0208    [Abstracts]
TI:
AU: * Li, L
EM: liming@astro.cornell.edu
AF: Cornell University, Space Sciences Bldg, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
AU: Conrath, B J
EM: barney.conrath@ssedmail.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Cornell University, Space Sciences Bldg, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
AU: Flasar, F M
EM: f.m.flasar@nasa.gov
AF: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA/GSFC, code 693.0, GreenBelt, MD 20771, United States
AU: Gierasch, P J
EM: gierasch@astro.cornell.edu
AF: Cornell University, Space Sciences Bldg, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, United States
AB: The standard thermal wind equation relates the vertical wind shear to the horizontal temperature gradient along isobaric surfaces. The relationship can be used to derive the vertical structure of wind if the temperature field is known, or vice verse. The simple-format standard thermal wind, which is based on hydrostatic and geostrophic balances, has been widely utilized in explorations of planetary atmospheres. The two balances work well for Earth's atmosphere even approaching the equator. However, the two balances behind the standard thermal wind equation should be used with caution for the equatorial regions of other planets because the large variations of jet velocities, radius, and rotation period of different planets in our solar system. Here, we examine the more general relationship between the wind field and temperature field without the hydrostatic assumption and geostrophic balance. Our thermal wind equation is tested first by a reanalysis dataset of Earth's atmosphere. Then we apply our thermal wind equation to Jupiter and Saturn, and compare with the results from the standard thermal wind equation. These comparisons suggest that our thermal wind equation is a better description for the relationship between wind and temperature fields in the equatorial regions. Another application is the derivation of the temperature field from the wind field, which is also tested by the reanalysis dataset of Earth. Furthermore, we emphasize that our thermal wind equation and the standard thermal wind equation are not at all mutually exclusive. We suggest a combination of the two equations to derive the whole zonal wind profile in the latitude- altitude cross section of planets with deep atmospheres.
DE: 0399 General or miscellaneous
DE: 3374 Tropical meteorology
DE: 5210 Planetary atmospheres, clouds, and hazes (0343)
DE: 5704 Atmospheres (0343, 1060)
DE: 5739 Meteorology (3346)
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting