The dynamics behind Titan's methane clouds.

摘要: We present results of an axisymmetric global circulation model Titan with a simplified suite atmospheric physics forced by seasonally varying insolation. The recent discovery midlatitude tropospheric clouds on has caused much excitement about the roles surface sources methane and in forming clouds. Although localized sources, such as geysers or “cryovolcanoes,” have been invoked to explain these clouds, we find this work that appear regions convergence mean meridional over poles during solstices, where solar forcing reaches its seasonal maximum. Other are inhibited from because dynamical transports strong subsidence. for variety moist regimes, i.e., effect thermodynamics included, observed cloud features can be explained large-scale dynamics atmosphere. Clouds at solsticial pole found robust feature Titan's dynamics, whereas isolated exclusively regimes. In all cases, even without including thermodynamics, our ceases produce polar ≈4–6 terrestrial years after solstices.