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An equatorial oscillation in Saturn's middle atmosphere
Abstract
The middle atmospheres of planets are driven by a combination of radiative heating and cooling, mean meridional motions, and vertically propagating waves (which originate in the deep troposphere). It is very difficult to model these effects and, therefore, observations are essential to advancing our understanding of atmospheres. The equatorial stratospheres of Earth and Jupiter oscillate quasi-periodically on timescales of about two and four years, respectively, driven by wave-induced momentum transport. On Venus and Titan, waves originating from surface-atmosphere interaction and inertial instability are thought to drive the atmosphere to rotate more rapidly than the surface (superrotation). However, the relevant wave modes have not yet been precisely identified. Here we report infrared observations showing that Saturn has an equatorial oscillation like those found on Earth and Jupiter, as well as a mid-latitude subsidence that may be associated with the equatorial motion. The latitudinal extent of Saturn's oscillation shows that it obeys the same basic physics as do those on Earth and Jupiter. Future highly resolved observations of the temperature profile together with modelling of these three different atmospheres will allow us determine the wave mode, the wavelength and the wave amplitude that lead to middle atmosphere oscillation.
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In the citing paper
“as well as quasi-periodic thermal oscillations in the stratosphere that occur both in altitude and in time (Fouchet et al., 2008; Orton et al., 2008; Guerlet et al., 2018).”
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 Fouchet et al., 2008
In the citing paper
“the narrow and intense jet in the upper hazes and its temporal variations could be related to the equatorial thermal oscillations (Fouchet et al., 2008; Orton et al., 2008; Guerlet et al., 2018).”
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 Fouchet et al., 2008
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Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022
National Research Council (2011) · National Academies Press eBooks · doi:10.17226/13117 · Cited by 374
Phosphine on Jupiter and Saturn from Cassini/CIRS
Fletcher, L. N., Orton, G. S., Teanby, N. A., & Irwin, P. G. J. (2009) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.03.023 · Cited by 190
Fletcher, L. N., Greathouse, T. K., Orton, G. S., Sinclair, J., Giles, R., Irwin, P. G. J., & Encrenaz, T. A. (2016) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2016.06.008 · Cited by 133
“On Saturn, Cassini has observed the stratospheric airmasses associated with its quasi-periodic oscillation to sink towards the tropopause over time (Fouchet et al., 2008; Orton et al., 2008; Fletcher et al., 2010a; Guerlet et al., 2011; Schinder et al., 2011; Fletcher et al., 2016), and Jupiter’s QQO may be responsibl…”
BackgroundGuerlet, S., Fouchet, T., Bézard, B., Simon-Miller, A. A., & Michael Flasar, F. (2009) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.04.002 · Cited by 98
“The main feature of the derived meridional profile is a local equatorial maximum of the temperature at 1 hPa, followed by a local minimum at 10−1 hPa, characteristic of an equatorial stratospheric oscillation (Fouchet et al., 2008).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citationAtmospheric regimes and trends on exoplanets and brown dwarfs
Zhang, X. (2020) · Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics · doi:10.1088/1674-4527/20/7/99 · Cited by 111
“…on Earth (quasi-biennial oscillation, QBO, with a period of∼2 years, Baldwin et al. 2001), Jupiter (quasi-quadrennial oscillation, QQO, with a period of ∼4 years, Leovy et al. 1991), and Saturn (the semiannual oscillation, SAO, with a period of ∼15 years, Orton et al. 2008; Fouchet et al. 2008).”
Background
Metadata
- Authors
- Fouchet, T., Guerlet, S., Strobel, D. F., Simon-Miller, A. A., Bézard, B., & Flasar, F. M.
- Affiliations
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Goddard Space Flight Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Fouchet, T.
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2008-05
- Volume
- 453
- Issue
- 7192
- Pages
- 200-202
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2043249054
- Cited by
- 115
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 5.25
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Space and Planetary Science › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Space and Planetary Science › Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
- Keywords
- Saturn, middle atmosphere, stratosphere, vertically propagating waves, semiannual oscillation, seasonal forcing, superrotation, planetary atmospheres, infrared observations
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