Gravitational signatures of atmospheric thermal tides on Venus.

Thermal tides in the atmosphere of Venus transport a considerable amount of mass, on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. We use simulated values of the surface atmospheric pressure distribution to estimate the time-varying gravitational potential, exterior to Venus. The expected amplitudes of gravitational signatures of thermal tides are below the errors from existing Magellan mission Doppler data, and have not yet been detected. However, they are large enough that we expect them to be well resolved by any of several measurement configurations for future Venus gravity missions. • The thermal atmospheric tide on Venus transports considerable mass. • The spatial pattern of the mass transport has a relatively flat spherical harmonic amplitude spectrum. • Gravitational signatures of this tide will be diagnostic of atmospheric structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]