Superrotation in Planetary Atmospheres
A synthesis of the mechanisms of superrotation in planetary atmospheres.
A Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics seminar | |
---|---|
Speaker(s) | Prof Geoff Vallis, University of Exeter |
Date | 20 November 2024 |
Time | 14:30 to 15:30 |
Place | Harrison Building 203 |
Organizer | Jemma Shipton |
Event details
Abstract
Superrotation occurs when the atmosphere of a planet spins faster than the planet beneath it. More precisely, it occurs when the angular momentum of a ring of air is greater than the angular momentum of the solid planet at the equator. In the Solar System, Venus, Titan, Jupiter and Saturn all superrotate, and Earth and Mars do occasionally. Some exoplanets, in particular tidally-locked ones, are thought to superrotate. I will discuss the various mechanisms that give rise to superrotation, drawing similarities and differences between slow rotators (like Venus), the fast rotators (like Jupiter) and tidally-locked exoplanets.
Location:
Harrison Building 203