Space Astronomy News

Venus’s 6,000-km Wave Explained by the Solar System’s Largest Hydraulic Jump

Researchers show Venus’s colossal 6,000-km atmospheric wave results from the solar system’s largest hydraulic jump: when eastward lower-cloud flows slow abruptly, a strong vertical updraft lifts sulfuric acid vapor and creates a massive cloud disturbance that may help sustain Venus’s superrotation. The finding, based on advanced fluid-dynamics simulations and microphysical modeling, explains why previous Earth-centric models missed the phenomenon and outlines steps to incorporate this mechanism into broader Venus climate models, with potential implications for future Mars research.