FORBIDDEN REGIONS FOR THE FORMATION OF CLOUDS IN A PLANETARY ATMOSPHERE,
Abstract
Every model planetary atmosphere implicity establishes unique altitude distributions for the saturation vapor pressures of its minor constituents solely by relating ambient atmospheric pressures and temperatures to altitude. It is possible to determine for any model atmosphere those altitude regions where cloud formation due to condensation or sublimation of minor constituents is permitted or forbidden by basic thermodynamic laws, regardless of the amounts of the minor constituents present. As an example, this exclusion principle is applied to the formation of H2O clouds in the earth's upper atmosphere for conditions given by supplemental model atmospheres for latitudes 15 to 75 degrees. The specific results presented permit inferences with regard to the expected seasonal distribution f noctilucent clouds and serve generally to illustrate the application of a basic principle of thermodynamics to the study of planetary atmospheres. (Authorr)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0438216
Entities
People
- G. F. Schilling
Organizations
- RAND Corporation