Radiative energy balance of Venus: An approach to parameterize thermal cooling and solar heating rates

Abstract

Thermal cooling rates QC and solar heating rates QH in the atmosphere of Venus at altitudes between 0 and 100 km are investigated using the radiative transfer and radiative balance simulation techniques described by Haus et al. (2015b, 2016). QC strongly responds to temperature profile and cloud parameter changes, while QH is less sensitive to these parameters. The latter mainly depends on solar insolation conditions and the unknown UV absorber distribution. A parameterization approach is developed that permits a fast and reliable calculation of temperature change rates Q for different atmospheric model parameters and that can be applied in General Circulation Models to investigate atmospheric dynamics. A separation of temperature, cloud parameter, and unknown UV absorber influences is performed. The temperature response parameterization relies on a specific altitude and latitude-dependent cloud model. It is based on an algorithm that characterizes Q responses to a broad range of temperature perturbations at each level of the atmosphere using the Venus International Reference Atmosphere (VIRA) as basis temperature model. The cloud response parameterization considers different temperature conditions and a range of individual cloud mode factors that additionally change cloud optical depths as determined by the initial latitude-dependent model. A QH response parameterization for abundance changes of the unknown UV absorber is also included. Deviations between accurate calculation and parameterization results are in the order of a few tenths of K/day at altitudes below 90 km. The parameterization approach is used to investigate atmospheric radiative equilibrium (RE) conditions. Polar mesospheric RE temperatures above the cloud top are up to 70 K lower and equatorial temperatures up to 10 K higher than observed values. This radiative forcing field is balanced by dynamical processes that maintain the observed thermal structure.