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Sulfur dioxide - Episodic injection shows evidence for active Venus volcanismPioneer Venus ultraviolet spectra from the first 5 years of operation show a decline (by more than a factor of 10) in sulfur dioxide abundance at the cloud tops and in the amount of submicron haze above the clouds. At the time of the Pioneer Venus encounter, the values for both parameters greatly exceeded earlier upper limits. However, Venus had a similar appearance in the late 1950's, implying the episodic injection of sulfur dioxide possibly caused by episodic volcanism. The amount of haze in the Venus middle atmosphere is about ten times that found in earth's stratosphere after the most recent major volcanic eruptions, and the thermal energy required for this injection on Venus is greater by about an order of magnitude than the largest of these recent earth eruptions and about as large as the Krakatoa eruption of 1883. The episodic behavior of sulfur dioxide implies that steady-state models of the chemistry and dynamics of cloud-top regions may be of limited use.
Document ID
19840040111
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Esposito, L. W.
(Colorado, University Boulder, CO, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
March 9, 1984
Publication Information
Publication: Science
Volume: 223
ISSN: 0036-8075
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
84A22898
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-389
PROJECT: PROJECT PIONEER
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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