Exploring the Saturn System in the Thermal Infrared: The Composite Infrared Spectrometer

Flasar, F. M.; Kunde, V. G.; Abbas, M. M.; Achterberg, R. K.; Barucci, A.; Bézard, Bruno; Bjoraker, G. L.; Brasunas, J. C.; Calcutt, S.; Carlson, R.; Césarsky, C. J.; Conrath, B. J.; Coradini, A.; Courtin, R.; Coustenis, A.; Edberg, Stephen J.; Edgington, S. G.; Ferrari, C.; Fouchet, Thierry; Gautier, D.; Gierasch, P. J.; Grossman, K.; Irwin, P. G. J.; Jennings, Donald E.; Lellouch, E.; Mamoutkine, A. A.; Marten, A.; Meyer, J. P.; Nixon, C. A.; Orton, G. S.; Owen, Tobias; Pearl, J. C.; Prangé, Renée; Raulin, F.; Read, P. L.; Romani, P. N.; Samuelson, R. E.; Segura, M.; Showalter, M. R.; Simon-Miller, A. A.; Smith, M. D.; Spencer, J. R.; Spilker, L. J.; Taylor, Fredric W.

doi:10.1007/1-4020-3874-7_4

Cited by 73 publications

(150 citation statements)

References 314 publications

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“…Conrath and Pirraglia (1983) found that outside the equatorial region, the temperature gradient at 150 mbar in the Voyager IRIS data is anti-correlated with the measured cloud-top zonal wind velocities. The anti-correlation has also been seen in temperatures from Cassini CIRS (Flasar et al 2005). Application of the thermal wind equation then indicates that the zonal winds decay with altitude over about 5 scale heights.…”

Section: Thermal Structure and Circulation Above Cloud Levelmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…However, the thermal contrast between low and high southern latitudes during early southern summer (Flasar et al 2005;Fletcher et al 2007b), is much greater than expected from simulations of the atmospheric radiative response assuming a uniform distribution of opacity (Bézard and Gautier 1985). The CIRS observations indicated that 1-mbar temperatures near the south pole were 15 K higher than at low latitudes ( Fig.…”

Section: Meridional Circulationmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…One sees the characteristic reversal of relative temperatures and winds with altitude. The limb observations do not constitute a zonal average, but more complete coverage of the stratosphere at 1-3 mbar from nadir-viewing observations indicates that zonal variations at this level are small (Flasar et al 2005;Fletcher et al 2007c). Note that the illustrated winds overlay the much larger winds inferred at the cloud tops from feature tracking (Porco et al 2005), so the wind field does not reverse, as it does on Earth.…”

Section: Equatorial Oscillationsmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Cross-sections of southern hemispheric temperatures from Cassini CIRS data were presented by Flasar et al (2005). Temperatures from CIRS mapping observations were retrieved by Fletcher et al (2007b), giving a latitude-pressure cross section of temperatures in the upper troposphere and middle stratosphere during southern mid-summer (Figure 7.8).…”

Section: Thermal Structure and Circulation Above Cloud Levelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…7.8), whereas the simulations predicted only 5 K in early southern summer. While the effects of the variation in opacity with latitude from hazes and gaseous coolants have yet to be modeled, Flasar et al (2005) suggested that weak subsidence over the south polar region could also adiabatically heat the stratosphere there. Assuming a balance between the first and third terms in the heat equation, above, they estimated a subsidence velocity ~ 0.01 cm -1 .…”

Section: Meridional Circulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Section: Thermal Structure and Circulation Above Cloud Levelmentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Meridional Circulationmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Equatorial Oscillationsmentioning

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Section: Thermal Structure and Circulation Above Cloud Levelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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We analyze the relationship between Saturn's radiant energies and the 2010 giant storm with the Cassini observations. The storm increased the emitted power in a wide latitudinal band (20–55°N) with a maximum change of 9.2 ± 0.1% around 45°N from 2010 to 2011. Such a regional change caused the global‐average emitted power to increase by ~2.0 ± 0.2%. Saturn's giant storm occurs quasiperiodically (i.e., period approximately one Saturnian year), so it is possible that giant storms continuously modify the emitted power if the storm modification has a lifetime close to one Saturnian year. The hemispheric‐average emitted power in the southern hemisphere, which was mainly affected by the seasonal change, decreased by 8.5 ± 0.3% from 2004 to 2013. Our estimates also imply that the 2010 giant storm significantly modified the absorbed solar power of Saturn. The significant temporal variations of radiant powers should be considered in reexamining the value of Saturn's internal heat flux.

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Titan's atmosphere and climate

2017

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Titan is the only moon with a substantial atmosphere, the only other thick N2 atmosphere besides Earth's, the site of extraordinarily complex atmospheric chemistry that far surpasses any other solar system atmosphere, and the only other solar system body with stable liquid currently on its surface. The connection between Titan's surface and atmosphere is also unique in our solar system; atmospheric chemistry produces materials that are deposited on the surface and subsequently altered by surface‐atmosphere interactions such as aeolian and fluvial processes resulting in the formation of extensive dune fields and expansive lakes and seas. Titan's atmosphere is favorable for organic haze formation, which combined with the presence of some oxygen‐bearing molecules indicates that Titan's atmosphere may produce molecules of prebiotic interest. The combination of organics and liquid, in the form of water in a subsurface ocean and methane/ethane in the surface lakes and seas, means that Titan may be the ideal place in the solar system to test ideas about habitability, prebiotic chemistry, and the ubiquity and diversity of life in the universe. The Cassini‐Huygens mission to the Saturn system has provided a wealth of new information allowing for study of Titan as a complex system. Here I review our current understanding of Titan's atmosphere and climate forged from the powerful combination of Earth‐based observations, remote sensing and in situ spacecraft measurements, laboratory experiments, and models. I conclude with some of our remaining unanswered questions as the incredible era of exploration with Cassini‐Huygens comes to an end.

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Exploring the Saturn System in the Thermal Infrared: The Composite Infrared Spectrometer

Cited by 73 publications

References 314 publications

Saturn Atmospheric Structure and Dynamics

Saturn Atmospheric Structure and Dynamics

Saturn's giant storm and global radiant energy

Titan's atmosphere and climate

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