New Research Sheds Light on Venus's Superwinds
November 29, 2025152 ViewsRead Time: 2 minutes
Font Size
16
A recent study has provided insights into one of the solar system's intriguing phenomena: the intense atmospheric conditions on Venus that create winds reaching speeds over 100 meters per second, far exceeding the strongest hurricanes on Earth.
This phenomenon, known as "super-rotation," occurs because Venus's atmosphere rotates around the planet at a rate sixty times faster than its own rotation. While it takes Venus 243 Earth days to complete one rotation, its atmosphere cycles in just four days.
Published in AGU Advances, the study reveals that the key to understanding these superwinds lies not in the winds themselves, but in a daily tidal cycle driven by solar heating. This cycle acts as a significant engine, transferring energy from the extremely hot daytime side of the planet to the cooler nighttime side, thereby generating strong, interconnected currents that maintain constant wind acceleration.
The research team, led by Dr. Dixin Lai from the Chinese University of Science and Technology, utilized data from the European "Venus Express" and the Japanese "Akatsuki" spacecraft, collected over a span of 16 years, along with advanced digital simulation models.
Previously, scientists believed that recurring weather patterns occurring twice daily were the primary cause of super-rotation. However, this new research indicates that the single daily tidal cycle is the main driver of energy transfer to the upper cloud layers, sustaining the winds' constant acceleration.
These findings enhance our understanding of atmospheric behavior on slowly rotating planets, both in our solar system and beyond, while also raising further questions about the dynamics of Venus's extreme climate and the potential influence of similar processes on Earth-like planets elsewhere in the universe.
This phenomenon, known as "super-rotation," occurs because Venus's atmosphere rotates around the planet at a rate sixty times faster than its own rotation. While it takes Venus 243 Earth days to complete one rotation, its atmosphere cycles in just four days.
Published in AGU Advances, the study reveals that the key to understanding these superwinds lies not in the winds themselves, but in a daily tidal cycle driven by solar heating. This cycle acts as a significant engine, transferring energy from the extremely hot daytime side of the planet to the cooler nighttime side, thereby generating strong, interconnected currents that maintain constant wind acceleration.
The research team, led by Dr. Dixin Lai from the Chinese University of Science and Technology, utilized data from the European "Venus Express" and the Japanese "Akatsuki" spacecraft, collected over a span of 16 years, along with advanced digital simulation models.
Previously, scientists believed that recurring weather patterns occurring twice daily were the primary cause of super-rotation. However, this new research indicates that the single daily tidal cycle is the main driver of energy transfer to the upper cloud layers, sustaining the winds' constant acceleration.
These findings enhance our understanding of atmospheric behavior on slowly rotating planets, both in our solar system and beyond, while also raising further questions about the dynamics of Venus's extreme climate and the potential influence of similar processes on Earth-like planets elsewhere in the universe.
