Cited by 354Planetary Science and ExplorationAstro and Planetary ScienceStellar, planetary, and galactic studies

Ground‐based near‐infrared observations of the Venus nightside: The thermal structure and water abundance near the surface

Meadows, V. S., Crisp, D.·1996·Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets

Abstract

We used ground‐based near‐infrared (NIR) observations of thermal emission from the Venus nightside to determine the temperature structure and water vapor distribution between the surface and the 6‐km level. We show that emission from spectral windows near 1.0, 1.1, and 1.18 μm originates primarily from the surface and lowest scale height (∼16 km). These windows include absorption by weak H 2 O and CO 2 lines and by the far wings of lines in strong nearby CO 2 bands. Rayleigh scattering by the 90‐bar CO 2 atmosphere and Mie scattering by the H 2 SO 4 clouds attenuate this emission, but add little to its spectral dependence. Surface topography also modulates this NIR thermal emission because high‐elevation regions are substantially cooler and emit less thermal radiation than the surrounding plains. These contributions to the emission are clearly resolved in moderate‐resolution (λ/Δλ ∼ 400) spectral image cubes of the Venus nightside acquired with the infrared imaging spectrometer (IRIS) on the Anglo‐Australian Telescope (AAT) in 1991. To analyze these observations, we used a radiative transfer model that includes all of the radiative processes listed above. Synthetic spectra for several topographic elevations were combined with Pioneer Venus altimetry data to generate spatially resolved maps of the NIR thermal emission. Comparisons between these synthetic radiance maps and the IRIS observations indicate no near‐infrared signature of the surface emissivity differences seen at microwave wavelengths by the Magellan orbiter. Assuming constant surface emissivity in the near‐infrared, we derive nightside averaged temperature lapse rates of −7 to −7.5 K/km in the lowest 6 km. These lapse rates are smaller and indicate much greater static stability than those inferred from earlier measurements and greenhouse models (−8 to −8.5 K/km) [ Seiff , 1983]. An acceptable fit to the data was obtained with an H 2 O mixing ratio profile which increases from 20 ppmv at the cloud base to 45 ppmv at 30 km, and then remains constant between that altitude and the surface. There is no evidence for H 2 O mixing ratios that decrease with altitude, like those inferred from the Pioneer Venus large probe mass spectrometer [ Donahue and Hodges , 1992a] or the Venera 11 and 12 Lander spectrophotometers [ Moroz , 1983].

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Crossref · 10.1029/95je03567

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  • Contemporary Venus has no oceans, and water vapor is present in the venusian atmosphere at a concentration of only ∼30 ppmv.

    “Contemporary Venus has no oceans, and water vapor is present in the venusian atmosphere at a concentration of only ∼30 ppmv (parts per million by volume; Meadows and Crisp, 1996).”

    From The Astrobiology Primer v2.0 (2016) · cites this paper as Meadows and Crisp, 1996

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Authors
Meadows, V. S., & Crisp, D.
Venue
Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
Published
1996-02
Volume
101
Issue
E2
Pages
4595-4622
ISSN
0148-0227 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1982912142
Cited by
354
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 11
FWCI
5.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
  • 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
Keywords
water vapor abundance, atmospheric lapse rate, static stability, CO2 atmosphere, Rayleigh scattering, Mie scattering, surface emissivity, surface topography, radiative transfer modeling, Venus atmosphere, thermal structure, Anglo-Australian Telescope

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