Meridional distribution of CO, H2O, and H2SO4 in the Venus’ atmosphere:
a two-dimensional model incorporating transport and chemical reaction
Abstract
We developed a 2-dimensional model of Venus’ atmosphere which calculates
meridional distributions of chemical species such as CO, H2O, and H2SO4.
To calculate the meridional distribution of chemically active species,
we combined chemical model, cloud model, and transport model.
Partitioning between gas and liquid phase is calculated assuming
vapor-liquid equilibrium, and the number density of cloud droplet is
calculated by taking coagulation into account. Our model demonstrated
that the meridional distributions of CO and H2O are sensitive to the
circulation of the Venus’ atmosphere. Observed meridional distribution
of CO indicates that there is a large scale meridional circulation from
the lower (below 20 km altitude) to the upper (above 80 km altitude)
atmosphere. Also observed concentration of H2O vapor above the cloud top
suggests that meridional circulation ventilates the air above the cloud
top on a time scale of 600 days. In our model, thick clouds at low
latitudes are maintained by meridional circulation, while thick clouds
at high latitudes are caused by latitudinal temperature gradient and
horizontal transport of H2SO4 vapor.