Time variations of aerosol properties in the atmosphere of uranus

Abstract

In the present paper, variations in the vertical structure of the cloud layer of the atmosphere of Uranus in 1981, 1993, and 1995 were analyzed from the data on the geometric albedo of Uranus in the profiles of the absorption bands of methane at λ = 543, 619, 702, 727, 842, 864, 887 nm (Neff, et al., 1984; Karkoschka, 1994; 1998). We used Morozhenko’s method that allows us to identify how much the vertical structure of the atmosphere diverges from the conditions of homogeneity. This method is based on the estimation of the optical depths of the layers which form the intensity in the optically-thick vertically homogeneous gasaerosol atmosphere, i.e., the effective optical depths. It has been shown that, at the depths of formation of these absorption bands, there are two extensive cloud layers, the strength of which was maximum in 1981 and minimum in 1995. They are approximately positioned at the levels that correspond to the pressure intervals from 1.4 to 2 bar and from 3.5 to 5.8 bar.