Belts, Zones, and clouds

• We see highest clouds (ammonia)
  • cf. Earth TA 57
    • water clouds -- liquid drops (cumulus) and ice (cirrus)
  • Galileo probe sampled lower clouds
• Belts are dark because of lack of clouds
  • Falling gas heats, and clouds evaporate
    • deep layers are hot -- clearly seen in infrared Fig. 8
      • dark belts are transparent, we can see to deep, hot layers
    • Belts and zones are muted on Saturn (and Uranus & Neptune)
      • They are at lower temperatures so
        • clouds form deeper in the atmosphere Fig. 6

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