Tokyo Researchers Identify 3,700-Mile Venus Cloud as Solar System's Largest Hydraulic Jump
Updated
Updated · Futurism · May 16
Tokyo Researchers Identify 3,700-Mile Venus Cloud as Solar System's Largest Hydraulic Jump
1 articles · Updated · Futurism · May 16
A 3,700-mile cloud feature spotted by Akatsuki over Venus in 2016 has now been identified as the largest known atmospheric hydraulic jump in the solar system.
University of Tokyo researchers said turbulence in Venus's lower cloud layer abruptly slowed an atmospheric wave, driving a strong updraft that lofted sulfuric acid vapor into the upper layer, where it condensed into a huge cloud bank.
That cloud moved more slowly than the surrounding superrotating atmosphere, creating the distinct wave front that had puzzled scientists for years.
The study, published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, marks the first reported hydraulic jump on another planet and offers a new window into the poorly understood dynamics linking Venus's lower, middle and upper cloud layers.
Did a colossal 'atmospheric tsunami' on Venus just solve the mystery of its planet-circling super-winds?
If the solar system's largest 'hydraulic jump' is on Venus, could similar phenomena be shaping the weather on Mars?
Unveiling Venus’s 6,000-Kilometer Cloud Bank: The First Planetary Hydraulic Jump and Its Impact on Future Exploration
Overview
A recent breakthrough has revealed that a massive, 6,000-kilometer-long cloud bank on Venus is formed by a planetary-scale hydraulic jump—a phenomenon where large-scale horizontal atmospheric waves interact unexpectedly with strong vertical updrafts. This discovery, announced in May 2026, provides new insight into Venus’s extreme atmospheric dynamics and explains how its wild atmosphere connects sideways and upward movements. Previous climate models did not account for this surprising interaction, making the finding crucial for understanding the planet’s weather and for improving future models. This knowledge will help guide upcoming space missions and deepen our understanding of planetary atmospheres.