Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The range and unity of planetary circulations

  • Article
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Altering the rotation rate, obliquity and diurnal period of an Earth-like model atmosphere produces a wide range of circulation forms, some of which resemble those observed on Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and (perhaps) on Uranus and Neptune. These unified solutions suggest: that Jupiter and Saturn resemble a larger, faster-spinning Earth and possess a stress-bearing or momentum-exchanging sublayer-, that easterly winds prevail in Uranus' summer hemisphere; and that Venus resembles a slowly rotating Earth if diurnal heating variations are included.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lorenz, E. N. WMO Monogr. 218, 1 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Williams, G. P. Nature 257, 778 (1975); J. atmos. Sci. 35, 1399 (1978); 36, 932, 1409 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Leovy, C. B. A. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 17, 387 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Rhines, P. B. A. Rev. Fluid Mech. 11, 401 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Hunt, B. G. Nature 281, 188 (1979); J. atmos. Sci. 36, 1392 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Manabe, S., Hahn, D. G. & Holloway, J. L. Jr WMO/GARP Publ. Ser. 22, 41 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Holloway, J. L. & Manabe, S. Mon. Weath. Rev. 99, 335 (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gordon, C. T. & Stern, W. WMO/GARP Publ. Ser. 7, 46 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bourke, W. et al. Meth. Computat. Phys. 17, 267 (1977).

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  10. Gierasch, P. J. J. atmos. Sci. 32, 1038 (1975).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Rossow, W. B. & Williams, G. P. J. atmos. Sci. 36, 377 (1979).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Marov, M. Y. A. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 16, 141 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Schubert, G. et al. J. geophys. Res. 85, 8007 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Rossow, W. B. et al. J. geophys. Res. 85, 8107 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Leovy, C. B. J. atmos. Sci. 30, 1218 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hide, R. Nature 190, 895 (1961).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Smith, B. A. et al. Science 212, 163 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Smith, B. A. et al. Science 215, 504 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory/NOAA, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, USA

    Gareth P. Williams & J. Leith Holloway Jr

Authors
  1. Gareth P. Williams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Leith Holloway Jr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Williams, G., Holloway, J. The range and unity of planetary circulations. Nature 297, 295–299 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/297295a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/297295a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation