Surface winds on Venus: Probability distribution from in-situ measurements

•Reviews near-surface wind measurements from Venus probes.•Develops analytic (Weibull) probability distribution of wind speeds.•Implies frequent motion of surface particulates.•Critical input for landing safety assessment on future missions. A surface wind specification is needed for future landed m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Icarus (New York, N.Y. 1962) N.Y. 1962), 2016-01, Vol.264, p.311-315
Main Author: Lorenz, Ralph D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Mars
Mars missions
Meteorology
Orbitals
Sand
Slopes
Surface wind
Venus (planet)
Venus surface
Venus, atmosphere
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Summary:•Reviews near-surface wind measurements from Venus probes.•Develops analytic (Weibull) probability distribution of wind speeds.•Implies frequent motion of surface particulates.•Critical input for landing safety assessment on future missions. A surface wind specification is needed for future landed missions to Venus. While sparse, there exist enough data from the limited surface and near-surface measurements to date to define a probability density function that guides expectations of winds for rational design of landing systems. Following a review of all available data (mostly from the Venera missions), a Weibull function, used previously for Mars and Titan, and widely used in terrestrial engineering applications, is proposed. Best-estimate wind measurements are reasonably described by P(>V)=exp[−(V/c)k], with c=0.8m/s, k=1.9: this function yields a 95% chance of winds
ISSN:0019-1035
1090-2643
DOI:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.09.036