Cloud features and zonal wind measurements of Saturn's atmosphere as observed by Cassini/VIMS
Open accessAbstract
We present an analysis of data about Saturn's atmosphere from Cassini's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS), focusing on the meteorology of the features seen in the 5 μm spectral window. We present VIMS mosaics and discuss the morphology and general characteristics of the features backlit by Saturn's thermal emission. We have also constructed a zonal wind profile from VIMS feature tracking observation sequences using an automated cloud feature tracker. Comparison with previously constructed profiles from Voyager and Cassini imaging data reveals broad similarities, suggesting minimal vertical shear of the zonal wind. However, areas of apparent wind shear are present in the VIMS zonal wind profile at jet stream cores. In particular, our analysis shows that the equatorial jet reaches speeds exceeding 450 m s−1, similar to speeds obtained during the Voyager era. This suggests that recent inferences of relatively slower jet speeds of ∼275–375 m s−1 are confined to the upper troposphere and that the deep (>1 bar) jet has not experienced a significant slowdown. Our measurements of the numerous dark, spotted features seen in the VIMS mosaics reveals that most of these features have diameters less than 1000 km and reside in confined zonal bands between jet stream cores. We propose that these spot features are vortices and that VIMS and Imaging Science Subsystem are sensing the same vortices at two different pressure levels. The local structure at the zonal jet streams remains complex, as VIMS may be sensing cloud features that are deeper than the NH3 cloud deck.
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Zonal winds obtained in Cassini VIMS images sensitive to the ∼2 bar level are closer to the speed of the bright white spot than winds in the upper layers measured in Cassini ISS images.
“Zonal winds obtained in Cassini VIMS images sensitive to the ∼ 2 bar level (Choi et al., 2009; Studwell et al., 2018) are closer to the speed of the bright white spot than winds in the upper layers measured in Cassini ISS images.”
From Saturn atmospheric dynamics one year after Cassini: Long-lived features and time variations in the drift of the Hexagon (2020) · cites this paper as Choi et al., 2009
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Cites
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BackgroundSaturn's Zonal Winds at Cloud Level
Sánchez-Lavega, A. (2000) · Icarus · doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6449 · Cited by 154 · cited 5× · see citing works
“For comparison, we have also included the zonal wind profiles constructed from Voyager (Sanchez-Lavega et al. 2000) and Cassini (Vasavada et al. 2006) imaging data.”
MethodInfluentialNonlinear Simulations of Jupiter's 5-Micron Hot Spots
Showman, A. P., & Dowling, T. E. (2000) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.289.5485.1737 · Cited by 148 · cited 1× · see citing works
“The leading explanation for Jovian hotspots is that they are a manifestation of the downwelling branch of an equatorially trapped Rossby wave [Allison (1990); Showman and Dowling (2000); Friedson (2005)].”
BackgroundGalileo Imaging of Jupiter's Atmosphere: The Great Red Spot, Equatorial Region, and White Ovals
Vasavada, A. R., Ingersoll, A. P., Banfield, D., Bell, M., Gierasch, P. J., Belton, M. J. S., Orton, G. S., Klaasen, K. P., DeJong, E. M., Breneman, H. H., et al. (1998) · Icarus · doi:10.1006/icar.1998.5984 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Global-scale surface spectral variations on Titan seen from Cassini/VIMS
Barnes, J. W., Brown, R. H., Soderblom, L. A., Buratti, B. J., Sotin, C., Rodriguez, S., Mouëlic, S. L., Baines, K. H., Clark, R. N., & Nicholson, P. D. (2006) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.08.021 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Cassini imaging science: initial results on Saturn's atmosphere
Porco, C. C., Baker, E., Barbara, J., Beurle, K., Brahic, A., Burns, J. A., Charnoz, S., Cooper, N., Dawson, D. D., Del Genio, A. D., et al. (2005) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1107691 · Cited by 135 · cited 3× · see citing works
“…results from Cassini have revealed this activity: dozens of compact, dark spots (likely anticylconic vortices) populate Saturn’s mid-latitudes (Porco et al. 2005), and vigorous storms with inferred lightning discharges imply energetic updrafts in tandem with strong precipitation (Dyudina et…”
BackgroundInfluentialInteraction between eddies and mean flow in Jupiter’s atmosphere: Analysis of Cassini imaging data.
Salyk, C., Ingersoll, A. P., Lorre, J., Vasavada, A., & Del Genio, A. D. (2006) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.08.007 · Cited by 124 · cited 1× · see citing works
“This technique has been used to measure winds of Jovian vortices [Vasavada et al. (1998); Read et al. (2005); Choi et al. (2007)], eddy velocity fluxes on Jupiter and Saturn [Salyk et al. (2006); Del Genio et al. (2007)], and Venusian atmospheric velocities (Toigo et al. 1994).”
MethodShowman, A. P. (2007) · Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences · doi:10.1175/jas4007.1 · Cited by 112 · cited 18× · see citing works
“Sayanagi and Showman (2007) performed numerical experiments that suggested that a combination of both is necessary to account for the apparent slowdown.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialCharacteristics of the Galileo probe entry site from Earth‐based remote sensing observations
Orton, G. S., Fisher, B. M., Baines, K. H., Stewart, S. T., Friedson, A. J., Ortiz, J. L., Marinova, M., Ressler, M. E., Dayal, A., Hoffmann, W. F., et al. (1998) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/98je02380 · Cited by 110 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Furthermore, Penny et al. (2008) suggest that the Rhines effect (Rhines 1975) is suppressed at the latitudes containing VIMS spot features, indicating that these latitudes can generate and support vortices.”
BackgroundCassini imaging of Saturn: Southern hemisphere winds and vortices
Vasavada, A. R., Hörst, S. M., Kennedy, M. R., Ingersoll, A. P., Porco, C. C., Del Genio, A. D., & West, R. A. (2006) · Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets · doi:10.1029/2005je002563 · Cited by 110 · cited 13× · see citing works
“Vasavada et al. (2006) describe tilted cloud streaks, abundant vortices, patchy bright clouds, and dark bands coincident with the location of zonal jet streams throughout Saturn’s southern hemisphere.”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialPlanetary waves in Jupiter's equatorial atmosphere
Allison, M. (1990) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/0019-1035(90)90069-l · Cited by 107 · cited 2× · see citing works
“The leading explanation for Jovian hotspots is that they are a manifestation of the downwelling branch of an equatorially trapped Rossby wave [Allison (1990); Showman and Dowling (2000); Friedson (2005)]. This physical model may also extend to the Saturnian pearls, though the wave would presumably not be equatorially…”
BackgroundAn Overview of the Integrated Software for Imaging Spectrometers (ISIS)
Gaddis, L. R., Anderson, J. J., Becker, K. J., Becker, T., Cook, D., Edwards, K., Eliason, E. K., Hare, T. M., Kieffer, H. H., Lee, E. M., et al. (1997) · Lunar and Planetary Science Conference · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Evolution and persistence of 5‐μm hot spots at the Galileo probe entry latitude
Ortiz, J. L., Orton, G. S., Friedson, A. J., Stewart, S. T., Fisher, B. M., & Spencer, J. R. (1998) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/98je00696 · Cited by 94 · cited 14× · see citing works
“Mac Low and Ingersoll (1986) noted that aspect ratios tended to be greater than unity with increasing east-west diameters based on their analysis of spots on Jupiter from Voyager imagery.”
BackgroundInfluentialLightning storms on Saturn observed by Cassini ISS and RPWS during 2004–2006
DYUDINA, U., INGERSOLL, A., EWALD, S., PORCO, C., FISCHER, G., KURTH, W., DESCH, M., DELGENIO, A., BARBARA, J., & FERRIER, J. (2007) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.03.035 · Cited by 81 · cited 2× · see citing works
“However, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of the jet from 1996–2002 showed evidence for a dramatic slowdown in the velocity of the jet by almost a factor of two (Sánchez-Lavega et al. 2003) over a broad (∼30◦) span of latitudes. Explanations for the slowdown include a true decrease in the speed of the jet or…”
BackgroundThe shape of vortices in quasi-geostrophic turbulence
Reinaud, J. N., Dritschel, D. G., & KOUDELLA, C. R. (2003) · Journal of Fluid Mechanics · doi:10.1017/s0022112002002719 · Cited by 80 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Our proposed hypothesis that the spots have finite thickness is also consistent with the dynamics of coherent vortices; the vertical extent of such a feature is typically f/N times their horizontal width, where f is the Coriolis parameter and N is the Brunt-Väisälä frequency [Charney, 1971; Reinaud et al., 2003].”
BackgroundA strong decrease in Saturn's equatorial jet at cloud level
Sánchez-Lavega, A., Pérez-Hoyos, S., Rojas, J. F., Hueso, R., & French, R. G. (2003) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature01653 · Cited by 78 · cited 3× · see citing works
“This suggests that the near factor-of-two reduction in speed relative to Voyager measurements for the equatorial jet (Sánchez-Lavega et al. 2003) and the more modest reduction measured by Porco et al. (2005) could perhaps be confined to the upper troposphere and that VIMS may be sensing deeper…”
BackgroundInfluentialSromovsky, L. A., Revercomb, H. E., Krauss, R. J., & SUOMI, V. E. (1983) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/ja088ia11p08650 · Cited by 73 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Though Cassini ’s Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) was not yet able to fully observe the northern hemisphere, Vasavada et al. (2006) noted similarities between both hemispheres based on previous studies from Voyager [Smith et al. (1981); Smith et al. (1982); Sromovsky et al. (1983)].”
BackgroundResultCHOI, D., Banfield, D., Gierasch, P. J., & Showman, A. P. (2007) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.10.037 · Cited by 71 · cited 4× · see citing works
“This technique has been used to measure winds of Jovian vortices [Vasavada et al. (1998); Read et al. (2005); Choi et al. (2007)], eddy velocity fluxes on Jupiter and Saturn [Salyk et al. (2006); Del Genio et al. (2007)], and Venusian atmospheric velocities (Toigo et al. 1994).”
MethodInfluentialPrecision Topography of a Reversing Sand Dune at Bruneau Dunes, Idaho
Zimbelman, J. R., & Scheidt, S. P. (2014) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Life cycles of spots on Jupiter from Cassini images
Li, L. (2003) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2003.10.015 · Cited by 69 · cited 2× · see citing works
“and Saturn. Mac Low and Ingersoll (1986) noted that aspect ratios tended to be greater than unity with increasing east-west diameters based on their analysis of spots on Jupiter from Voyager imagery. Li et al. (2004) demonstrate the same trend based on their analysis of Jovian spots from Cassini imagery. Both studies…”
MethodSaturn eddy momentum fluxes and convection: First estimates from Cassini images.
DELGENIO, A., BARBARA, J., FERRIER, J., INGERSOLL, A., WEST, R., VASAVADA, A., SPITALE, J., & PORCO, C. (2007) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.02.013 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
High Resolution Cloud Feature Tracking on Venus by Galileo
Toigo, A. D., Gierasch, P. J., & Smith, M. D. (1994) · Icarus · doi:10.1006/icar.1994.1097 · Cited by 49 · cited 2× · see citing works
“This technique has been used to measure winds of Jovian vortices [Vasavada et al. (1998); Read et al. (2005); Choi et al. (2007)], eddy velocity fluxes on Jupiter and Saturn [Salyk et al. (2006); Del Genio et al. (2007)], and Venusian atmospheric velocities (Toigo et al. 1994).”
BackgroundMethodWater, ammonia, and H2S mixing ratios in Jupiter's five-micron hot spots: A dynamical model
Friedson, A. J. (2005) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.03.004 · Cited by 46 · cited 1× · see citing works
“The leading explanation for Jovian hotspots is that they are a manifestation of the downwelling branch of an equatorially trapped Rossby wave [Allison (1990); Showman and Dowling (2000); Friedson (2005)].”
BackgroundThe dynamics of jovian white ovals from formation to merger
Youssef, A. (2003) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/s0019-1035(02)00060-x · Cited by 42 · cited 3× · see citing works
“Youssef and Marcus (2003) have suggested such a model in the case of Jupiter’s White Ovals throughout much of the 20th century.”
BackgroundThe three-dimensional structure of Saturn’s equatorial jet at cloud level.
Sánchez-Lavega, A., Hueso, R., & Pérez-Hoyos, S. (2007) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.10.022 · Cited by 41 · cited 2× · see citing works
“However, if we again assume that the features tracked by ISS and VIMS are separated by a scale height, the ∼100 m s−1 difference at the jet cores implies a shear that is greater than the estimate from Sánchez-Lavega et al. (2007) by a factor of 2–3.”
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“Another contrast between the two features is the observation that there are typically ∼10 Jovian 5 µm hotspots that globally span the latitude band between 5◦N and 10◦N (Arregi et al. 2006).”
BackgroundInfluentialEffects of a large convective storm on Saturn's equatorial jet
Sayanagi, K. M., & Showman, A. P. (2006) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.10.020 · Cited by 31 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Sayanagi and Showman (2007) performed numerical experiments that suggested that a combination of both is necessary to account for the apparent slowdown.”
BackgroundVertical shears in Saturn's eastward jets at cloud level
García-Melendo, E., Sánchez-Lavega, A., Rojas, J. F., Pérez-Hoyos, S., & Hueso, R. (2009) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.02.022 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Saturn's 5.2-μm Cold Spots: Unexpected Cloud Variability
Yanamandra-Fisher, P. A. (2001) · Icarus · doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6580 · Cited by 18 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Equatorial 5 µm hotspots similar to those encircling Jupiter (Ortiz et al. (1998) and Arregi et al. (2006)) have not been observed at low-latitudes, a result noted previously by Yanamandra-Fisher et al. (2001) through ground-based telescopic observations.”
BackgroundImaging spectroscopy of Saturn and its satellites : vims-v onboard Cassini
Capaccioni, F., Coradini, A., Cerroni, P., & Amici, S. (1998) · Planetary and Space Science · doi:10.1016/s0032-0633(98)00037-3 · Cited by 14 · cited 2× · see citing works
“VIMS is a hybrid instrument combining a slit-scanning visible spectrometer (Capaccioni et al. 1998) with a spot-scanning near-infrared spectrometer (Brown et al. 2004).”
MethodThe Zoology of Saturn: The Bizarre Features Unveiled by the 5 Micron Eyes of Cassini/VIMS
Momary, T., Baines, K. H., & Cassini (2006) · DPS · Cited by 11 · see citing works
The Deep Winds of Saturn: First Measurements of the Zonal Windfield Near the Two-Bar Level
Baines, K. H., Momary, T., & Roos‐Serote, M. (2005) · DPS · Cited by 11 · see citing works
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“This technique has been used to measure winds of Jovian vortices [Vasavada et al. (1998); Read et al. (2005); Choi et al. (2007)], eddy velocity fluxes on Jupiter and Saturn [Salyk et al. (2006); Del Genio et al. (2007)], and Venusian atmospheric velocities (Toigo et al. 1994).”
MethodSimulations of high-latitude spots on Jupiter: Constraints on vortex strength and the deep wind
Morales-Juberías, R., & Dowling, T. E. (2005) · Planetary and Space Science · doi:10.1016/j.pss.2005.05.002 · Cited by 10 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Moreover, numerical models of vortex evolution show success in matching vortex observations when the vortices are 1-3 scale heights thick (Morales-Juberias and Dowling 2005).”
BackgroundSuppression of the Rhines effect and the location of vortices on Saturn
Penny, A. B., Showman, A. P., & Choi, D. S. (2010) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/2009je003384 · Cited by 7 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Furthermore, Penny et al. [2008] suggest that the Rhines effect [Rhines, 1975] is suppressed at the latitudes containing VIMS spot features, indicating that these latitudes can generate and support vortices.”
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Zonal Mean Dynamics On Saturn From Cassini And Voyager Data
Read, P. L., Fletcher, L. N., Irwin, P. G. J., Achterberg, R. K., Conrath, B. J., & Cassini Cirs Team (2007) · AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #39 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Spatial and Spectral Filtering Strategies for Cassini VIMS Surface Images of Titan
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Saturn's Deep Cloud Structure Derived From 5-Micron Spectra
Bjoraker, G. L., Chanover, N. J., Glenar, D. A., & Hewagama, T. (2007) · AGUFM · Cited by 2 · see citing works
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Sorted by citations
Saturn’s zonal wind profile in 2004–2009 from Cassini ISS images and its long-term variability
García-Melendo, E., Pérez-Hoyos, S., Sánchez-Lavega, A., & Hueso, R. (2011) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.07.005 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Deep winds beneath Saturn’s upper clouds from a seasonal long-lived planetary-scale storm
Iopw Team, Sánchez-Lavega, A., del Río-Gaztelurrutia, T., Hueso, R., Gómez-Forrellad, J. M., Sanz‐Requena, J. F., Legarreta, J., Garcia‐Melendo, E., Colas, F., Lecacheux, J., et al. (2011) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature10203 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Periodicities in Saturn's magnetosphere
Carbary, J. F., & Mitchell, D. G. (2013) · Reviews of Geophysics · doi:10.1002/rog.20006 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
“The strong zonal winds of Saturn have been observed both remotely and proximally [Sanchez-LaVega, 1982; Sanchez-LaVega et al., 2000; Vasavada et al., 2006; Choi et al., 2009].”
BackgroundSaturn's north polar cyclone and hexagon at depth revealed by Cassini/VIMS
Baines, K. H., Momary, T. W., Fletcher, L. N., Showman, A. P., Roos-Serote, M., Brown, R. H., Buratti, B. J., Clark, R. N., & Nicholson, P. D. (2009) · Planetary and Space Science · doi:10.1016/j.pss.2009.06.026 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
“These observations complement cloud tracking performed on VIMS images at lower latitudes ( Choi et al., 2009 ).”
MethodSelf-citationDynamics of Saturn's great storm of 2010–2011 from Cassini ISS and RPWS
Sayanagi, K. M., Dyudina, U. A., Ewald, S. P., Fischer, G., Ingersoll, A. P., Kurth, W. S., Muro, G. D., Porco, C. C., & West, R. A. (2013) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.12.013 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
“If the ‘‘deep’’ cloud deck is indeed absent, the region should appear bright in both VIMS 5-lm channel and Cassini Microwave Radiometer maps, while the presence of an optically thick cloud layer would make the region appear dark to those instruments.”
MethodInfluentialSaturn’s tropospheric composition and clouds from Cassini/VIMS 4.6–5.1μm nightside spectroscopy
Fletcher, L. N., Baines, K. H., Momary, T., Showman, A. P., Irwin, P. G. J., Orton, G. S., Roos‐Serote, M., & Merlet, C. (2011) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.06.006 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
“…are observed at off-equatorial latitudes (particularly in the bands between 20-30◦ in both hemispheres), although the spatial resolution of the S20 sequence of images is insufficient to characterise small-scale features such as the String of Pearls at 33◦N (Momary et al., 2006; Choi et al., 2009).”
BackgroundInfluentialKaspi, Y., Galanti, E., Showman, A. P., Stevenson, D. J., Guillot, T., IESS, L., & Bolton, S. J. (2020) · Space Science Reviews · doi:10.1007/s11214-020-00705-7 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
“5 bar), while the mid-latitude winds seem to be nearly constant or become weaker with depth (Choi et al. 2009; Studwell et al. 2018).”
BackgroundInfluentialSaturn Atmospheric Structure and Dynamics
C, A. D. D. G., Achterberg, R. K., Baines, K. H., Flasar, F. M., Read, P. L., Sánchez-Lavega, A., & Showman, A. P. (2009) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-9217-6_6 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Anelastic dynamo models with variable electrical conductivity: An application to gas giants
Duarte, L., Gastine, T., & Wicht, J. (2013) · Physics of The Earth and Planetary Interiors · doi:10.1016/j.pepi.2013.06.010 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
“The peak velocity of Jupiter’s equatorial jet is around Roe j = 1.1 × 10−2 (Vasavada and Showman, 2005) and about Roe j = 5.0 × 10−2 for Saturn (Choi et al., 2009).”
BackgroundInfluentialHow Well Do We Understand the Belt/Zone Circulation of Giant Planet Atmospheres?
Fletcher, L. N., Kaspi, Y., Guillot, T., & Showman, A. P. (2020) · Space Science Reviews · doi:10.1007/s11214-019-0631-9 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
How well do we understand the belt/zone circulation of Giant Planet atmospheres?
(7625672), L. F., (7783511), Y. K., (7678025), T. G., & (7783514), A. S. (2020) · Figshare · Cited by 57 · see citing works
General circulation and transport in Saturn’s upper troposphere and stratosphere
Friedson, A. J., & Moses, J. I. (2012) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.02.004 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Superrotation in Planetary Atmospheres
Imamura, T., Mitchell, J. L., Lebonnois, S., Kaspi, Y., Showman, A. P., & Korablev, O. (2020) · Space Science Reviews · doi:10.1007/s11214-020-00703-9 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“The wind speeds of the eastward zonal jets reach ∼100 and ∼400 m s−1, respectively, on Jupiter and Saturn (Simon et al. 2015; Choi et al. 2009).”
BackgroundDynamical regimes of giant planet polar vortices
Brueshaber, S., Sayanagi, K. M., & Dowling, T. E. (2019) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.02.001 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Guerlet, S., Fouchet, T., Bézard, B., Moses, J. I., Fletcher, L. N., Simon-Miller, A. A., & Michael Flasar, F. (2010) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.03.033 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
“In order to estimate the influence of zonal winds, not included in our model, we computed several pressure–gravity–altitude grids for different wind velocities (50 m/s, 100 m/s and 150 m/s, which are typical zonal wind velocities in the troposphere at mid-latitudes (Choi et al., 2009)).”
MethodSaturn's cloud structure inferred from Cassini ISS
Roman, M. T., Banfield, D., & Gierasch, P. J. (2013) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.03.015 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
From cold to warm gas giants: A three-dimensional atmospheric general circulation modeling
Medvedev, A. S., Sethunadh, J., & Hartogh, P. (2013) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.03.028 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
“The latitudinal distribution of the zonal wind uobs was taken from the Cassini/VIMS cloud tracking measurements of Choi et al. (2009) (their Fig.”
BackgroundMethodConstraints on Saturn’s tropospheric general circulation from Cassini ISS images
C, A. D. D. G., & Barbara, J. (2012) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.03.035 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
“Choi et al. (2009) have derived zonal winds at a depth of several bars from tracking emission features in Cassini VIMS 5 lm images.”
BackgroundSayanagi, K. M., Baines, K. H., Dyudina, U. A., Fletcher, L. N., Sánchez-Lavega, A., & West, R. A. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316227220.012 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Dual periodicities in energetic electrons at Saturn
Carbary, J. F., Mitchell, D. G., Krimigis, S. M., & Krupp, N. (2009) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2009gl040517 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
“High latitude wind speeds were measured by the Imaging Science Subsytem (ISS) and Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) by tracking cloud features [Vasavada et al., 2006; Choi et al., 2009].”
MethodCassini Exploration of the Planet Saturn: A Comprehensive Review
Ingersoll, A. P. (2020) · Space Science Reviews · doi:10.1007/s11214-020-00751-1 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
An enduring rapidly moving storm as a guide to Saturn’s Equatorial jet’s complex structure
Sánchez-Lavega, A., Garcia‐Melendo, E., Pérez-Hoyos, S., Hueso, R., Wong, M. H., Simon, A. A., Sanz‐Requena, J. F., Antuñano, A., Barrado-Izagirre, N., Gárate-López, I., et al. (2016) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/ncomms13262 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“Finally, as a further comparison, we have included in Figure 7b a smoothed version of the wind profile derived from 5- m images obtained by Cassini VIMS [32] that senses cloud features as opacity sources to the infrared emission from the planet at deeper levels (1-3 bar) in the atmosphere [40-41].”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialCassini ISS observation of Saturn’s String of Pearls
Sayanagi, K. M., Dyudina, U. A., Ewald, S. P., Muro, G. D., & Ingersoll, A. P. (2013) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.10.032 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“ber 2006 data is VIMS data as documented by Choi et al. (2009). 174 K.”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialStrong Temporal Variation Over One Saturnian Year: From Voyager to Cassini
Li, L., Achterberg, R. K., Conrath, B. J., Gierasch, P. J., Smith, M. A., Simon, A. A., Nixon, C. A., Orton, G. S., Flasar, F. M., Jiang, X., et al. (2013) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/srep02410 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“The speed of the equatorial jet at 750 mbar ( , 450–460 m/s) is close to that of the equatorial jet at 2000 mbar ( , 500 m/s) 22,23 , which suggests that the equatorial jet does not vary significantly at pressures greater than 750 mbar.”
The Global Atmospheric Circulation of Saturn
Showman, A. P., Ingersoll, A. P., Achterberg, R. K., & Kaspi, Y. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316227220.011 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Hueso, R., Sánchez-Lavega, A., Rojas, J. F., Simon, A. A., Barry, T., Río-Gaztelurrutia, T. D., Antuñano, A., Sayanagi, K. M., Delcroix, M., Fletcher, L. N., et al. (2020) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113429 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“, 2016), and Cassini VIMS images in 2007 (Choi et al., 2009), and 2015 (Studwell et al.”
BackgroundDynamics and clouds in planetary atmospheres from telescopic observations
Sánchez-Lavega, A., Irwin, P., & Muñoz, A. G. (2023) · The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review · doi:10.1007/s00159-023-00150-9 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Keogram analysis of ENA images at Saturn
Carbary, J. F., & Mitchell, D. G. (2014) · Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics · doi:10.1002/2014ja019784 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Peculiarly, this angular speed is close to that of the equatorial cloud tops, 35°/h [e.g., Choi et al., 2009].”
BackgroundA long-lived cyclone in Saturn’s atmosphere: Observations and models
del Río-Gaztelurrutia, T., Legarreta, J., Hueso, R., Pérez-Hoyos, S., & Sánchez-Lavega, A. (2010) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.04.002 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Saturn’s Northern Hemisphere Ribbon: Simulations and Comparison with the Meandering Gulf Stream
Sayanagi, K. M., Morales-Juberías, R., & Ingersoll, A. P. (2010) · Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences · doi:10.1175/2010jas3315.1 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Choi et al. (2009) measured that the pearls are about 1000 km in diameter each, spaced around 48 in longitude and centered at 408 6 28N latitude.”
BackgroundInfluentialThe Great Saturn Storm of 2010–2011
Sánchez-Lavega, A., Fischer, G., Fletcher, L. N., Garcia‐Melendo, E., Hesman, B. E., Pérez-Hoyos, S., Sayanagi, K. M., & Sromovsky, L. A. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781316227220.013 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“6 The 2010-2011 storm erupted within an unusual feature known as the String of Pearls (SoP), detected in VIMS and ISS images (VIMS: Choi et al. 2009, Baines et al. 2010, 2015; ISS: Sayanagi et al. 2014).”
BackgroundInfluentialCowley, S. W. H., & Provan, G. (2013) · Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics · doi:10.1002/2013ja019200 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“These were initially discovered by Cassini VIMS as a chain of ~20 long-lived IR-bright spots termed the string of pearls (SoP) [Momary et al., 2006; Choi et al., 2009], formed from low-opacity regions in the ammonium hydrosulfide cloud deck at ~2–3 bars that allowed observation of thermal emissions…”
BackgroundSaturn's global zonal winds explored by Cassini/VIMS 5-μm images
Studwell, A., Li, L., Jiang, X., Baines, K. H., Fry, P. M., Momary, T. W., & Dyudina, U. A. (2018) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2018gl078139 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Therefore, the Cassini VIMS 5-μ m images have been used to explore Saturn ’ s zonal winds at the relatively deep levels in recent years (Baines et al., 2005, 2009; Choi et al., 2009; Dyudina et al., 2009).”
Probing Saturn’s tropospheric cloud with Cassini/VIMS
Barstow, J. K., Irwin, P. G. J., Fletcher, L. N., Giles, R., & Merlet, C. (2016) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2016.01.013 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“On the other hand, thermal eission from the deep atmosphere is absorbed and scattered by clouds in this altitude region (Baines et al., 2006; Choi et al., 2009), as discussed by Fletcher et al. (2011a), who presented the first detailed exploration of thermal emission from Saturn using VIMS.”
BackgroundSaturn's new ribbons: Cassini observations of planetary waves in Saturn's 42N atmospheric jet
Gunnarson, J. L., Sayanagi, K. M., Blalock, J. J., Fletcher, L. N., Ingersoll, A. P., Dyudina, U. A., Ewald, S. P., & Draham, R. L. (2018) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2018gl078156 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“The level of features sensed by the 5 μm images is between 1 and 4 bar, probably corresponding to the base of the clouds sensed by the CB2 filter (Choi et al., 2009).”
BackgroundGalperin, B., Hoemann, J., Espa, S., Nitto, G. D., & Lacorata, G. (2016) · Physical review. E · doi:10.1103/physreve.94.063102 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Hurley, J., Irwin, P. G. J., Fletcher, L. N., Moses, J. I., Hesman, B. E., Sinclair, J., & Merlet, C. (2012) · Planetary and Space Science · doi:10.1016/j.pss.2011.12.026 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Suppression of the Rhines effect and the location of vortices on Saturn
Penny, A. B., Showman, A. P., & Choi, D. S. (2010) · Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres · doi:10.1029/2009je003384 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“0148-0227/10/2009JE003384$09.00 E02001 1 of 8 Choi et al. [2009] have identified spots from VIMS data, even though the number of spots per latitude far exceeds the number of identified vortices.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialTropopause and lower stratosphere winds and eddy fluxes on Saturn as seen by Cassini imaging
Barbara, J., & C, A. D. D. G. (2020) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2020.114095 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Liu, T., & Salazar, D. M. (2022) · Experiments in Fluids · doi:10.1007/s00348-022-03425-6 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Saturn's North Polar Vortex Structure Extracted From Cloud Images by the Optical Flow Method
Liu, T., Sayanagi, K. M., Brueshaber, S., Blalock, J. J., Ingersoll, A. P., Dyudina, U. A., & Ewald, S. P. (2019) · Journal of Geophysical Research Planets · doi:10.1029/2019je005974 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
“This method can be enhanced such that it first performs a coarse search followed by a refined search (Choi et al., 2007, 2009, 2010; Kouyama et al., 2012) by using a human operator to perform quality control (Hueso et al., 2009) and by averaging along streamlines found in the derived wind field to…”
MethodSPRITE: A Saturn probe new frontiers mission
Banfield, D., Simon, A. A., Danner, R., Atkinson, D. H., & Reh, K. R. (2018) · IEEE Aerospace Conference (AERO) · doi:10.1109/aero.2018.8396829 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“Previous studies have demonstrated no appreciable difference in motions between clouds at this scale and smaller [44].”
BackgroundSpatiotemporal Variability of Saturn's Zonal Winds Observed by Cassini
Wang, X., Li, L., Guan, L., Jiang, X., Fry, P. M., Dyudina, U. A., Fletcher, L. N., Garcia‐Melendo, E., Hueso, R., Morales-Juberías, R., et al. (2025) · Journal of Geophysical Research Planets · doi:10.1029/2024je008515 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“While some previous studies have examined VIMS 5‐μm observations (Baines et al., 2005, 2009; Choi et al., 2009; Momary et al., 2006; Studwell et al., 2018), research on temporal variations of relatively deep zonal winds, particularly in the equatorial region, remains limited.”
InfluentialObservational constraints on the strength and depth of the zonal jets on Saturn
Galanti, E., Durante, D., IESS, L., & Kaspi, Y. (2025) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-025-57790-x · Cited by 3 · see citing works
SIMULATION OF HEXAGONAL TURBULENT FLOW IN THE NORTH POLAR REGION OF SATURN
Trunev, A. P. (2017) · Polythematic Online Scientific Journal of Kuban State Agrarian University · doi:10.21515/1990-4665-125-050 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Atmospheric Dynamics of Giants and Icy Planets
Sánchez-Lavega, A., & Heimpel, M. H. (2017) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-30648-3_51-1 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Atmospheric Dynamics of Giants and Icy Planets
Sánchez-Lavega, A., & Heimpel, M. H. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-55333-7_51 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
SIMULATION OF ATMOSPHERIC VORTEX FLOWS ON JUPIER AND SATURN
Trunev, A. P. (2017) · Polythematic Online Scientific Journal of Kuban State Agrarian University · doi:10.21515/1990-4665-126-050 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Saturn's Small‐Scale Winds Revealed by Its High‐Degree Gravity Field
Kim, S., Parisi, M., Mankovich, C. R., Buccino, D., & Yang, Y. (2025) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2024gl113236 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Direct and remote sensing techniques have shown that winds may grow stronger at depths reaching several tens of bars, particularly in the equatorial region (Atkinson et al., 1996; Choi et al., 2009).”
Sayanagi, K. M., Garland, J., & Saunders, W. (2025) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-96026-7.00224-1
A Long‐Lived Vortex From Saturn's 2010 Giant Convective Storm
Wang, X., Li, L., Jiang, X., Li, C. I., Noor, S., Rivas, J. M., Fry, P. M., Simon, A. A., Morales-Juberías, R., Sánchez-Lavega, A., et al. (2026) · Journal of Geophysical Research Planets · doi:10.1029/2025je009475
“ISIS is applied to the selected VIMS cubes for calibration, navigation, and cylindrical projection (Baines et al., 2005, 2009, 2018; Brown et al., 2004; Choi et al., 2009; Gaddis et al., 1997; Sromovsky et al., 2013, 2016, 2021).”
Variability of Saturn's Equatorial Zonal Winds at Cloud Level Between 2018 and 2025
Flix-Bellmunt, A., Sánchez-Lavega, A., Garcia‐Melendo, E., Hueso, R., Simon, A. A., Wong, M. H., Miró, A., & Barry, T. (2026) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2026gl121948
“…at around the 2,000 mbar level, 5‐μm images provided by the Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) were used to derive a global wind profile (Choi et al., 2009; Studwell et al., 2018) that showed equatorial winds stronger than the Cassini ISS measurements for the lower troposphere.”
- Authors
- Choi, D. S., Showman, A. P., & Brown, R. H.
- Affiliations
- University of Arizona (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2009-04
- Volume
- 114
- Issue
- E4
- ISSN
- 0148-0227 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2096162163
- Cited by
- 53
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 2.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- arxiv.org
- Locations
- Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics
- Keywords
- Saturn atmosphere, zonal wind profiles, equatorial jet, cloud properties, vortices, wind shear, Cassini VIMS, feature tracking
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