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Saturn's atmosphere: troposphere, stratosphere, winds

This diagram is showing that Saturn's atmosphere is parting between a troposphere (where temperatures are cold (blue)) and a stratosphere (where temperatures are warm (green)). Redder part is near the South Pole and indicating that it's summer in Saturn southern hemisphere. The lower part of the diagram is related to winds speeds at Saturn. Left of the diagram is showing for the first time two levels of wind in Saturn atmosphere at equatorial latitudes: red is showing the usual winds seen in the troposphere. These are very speedy winds and mostly concentrated at the equator. Green is showing for the first time winds in the stratosphere. Winds preponderantly slowdown as far as one leaves the equatorial region (green) and they become slower (blue) when about latitude 23° is reached. The dichotomy between tropospheric and stratospheric winds is no more noticeable since about latitude 8° Due to a gap in the date (left), the dichotomy structure at the equator is ill-defined. Stratosphere in the latitude bands might be relatively pure hydrogen and helium as closer to the poles it might contain much more atmospheric haze. High-altitude winds, North of the southern boundary of the mid-equatorial zone, are reaching 560-670 mph (250-300 m/s). picture courtesy NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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