Temperature, chemical species and wind distributions in the middle atmosphere of Titan from late northern spring to early summer

• DOI: 10.5194/epsc2020-872
• Publication Date: 2020-10-08T15:46:08Z
• Authors: Sandrine Vinatier; Christophe Mathé; Bruno Bézard; Jan Vatant d'Ollone; Sébastien Lebonnois; Cyril Dauphin; F. Mike Flasar; Rich K. Achterberg; Benoît Seignovert; Melody Sylvestre; Nick Teanby; Nicolas Gorius; Andrei Mamoutkine; Ever Guandique; Don Jennings
• Keywords: 13. Climate action; 14. Life underwater

We present a study of the seasonal evolution Titan’s thermal field and distributions haze, C2H2, C2H4, C2H6, CH3C2H, C3H8, C4H2, C6H6, HCN HC3N from March 2015 (Ls = 66°) to September 2017 93°), i.e. last third northern spring early summer. analyzed emission atmosphere acquired by Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) with limb nadir geometry retrieve stratospheric mesospheric temperature mixing ratios pole-to-pole meridional cross sections 5 mbar 50 μbar (120-650 km).The southern stratopause varied in complex way showed global increase at high-southern latitudes. Stratospheric polar temperatures, which were observed be as small 120 K due night, 30-K (at 0.5 mbar) May adiabatic heating subsiding branch overturning circulation. All photochemical compounds enriched South Pole this subsidence. Polar these enhanced species, are good tracers dynamics, highlighted changes structure vortex. These high enhancements combined unusually low temperatures (