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The abundance of sulfur dioxide below the clouds of VenusWe present a new method for determining the abundance of sulfur dioxide below the clouds of Venus. Absorption by the 3nu3 band of SO2 near 2.45 microns has been detected in high-resolution spectra of the night side of Venus recorded at the Canada-France Hawaii telescope in 1989 and 1991. The inferred SO2 abundance is 130 +/- 40 ppm at all observed locations and pertains to the 35-45 km region. These values are comparable to those measured by the Pioneer Venus and Venera 11/12 entry probes in 1978. This stability stands in contrast to the apparent massive decrease in SO2 observed at the cloud tops since these space missions. These results are consistent with laboratory and modeling studies of the SO2 destruction rates in the lower atmosphere of Venus. The new spectroscopic technique presented here allows a remote monitoring of the SO2 abundance below the clouds, a likely tracer of Venusian volcanism.
Document ID
19930069920
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Bezard, Bruno
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
De Bergh, Catherine
(Paris Observatoire, Meudon, France)
Fegley, Bruce
(Washington Univ. Saint Louis, MO, United States)
Maillard, Jean-Pierre
(CNRS Inst. d'Astrophysique, Paris, France)
Crisp, David
(JPL Pasadena, CA, United States)
Owen, Tobias
(Hawaii Univ. Honolulu, United States)
Pollack, James B.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Grinspoon, David
(Colorado Univ. Boulder, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
August 6, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Volume: 20
Issue: 15
ISSN: 0094-8276
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
93A53917
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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