[X] My Assistant

[ngunn]

Compare the predicted view in the latest 'looking ahead'

http://ciclops.org/view/5825/Rev_118

with the nothern hemisphere polar map:

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[ngunn]

I think it's worth comparing the cloud location with the global elevation map. (See posts 5 and 9 above and Mike's nice images today in post 68 of 'cloud hunting') Let's suppose the seas are loading the air with methane at and above 60N and that the air is moving eastward. The highest region along the 60N circle is around longitude 220-230. The longitude range 270-230 where the clouds congregate seems to coincide with the most significant regional upslope for E-W winds at that latitude.

[titanicrivers]

I think it's worth comparing the cloud location with the global elevation map. (See posts 5 and 9 above and Mike's nice images today in post 68 of 'cloud hunting') Let's suppose the seas are loading the air with methane at and above 60N and that the air is moving eastward. The highest region along the 60N circle is around longitude 220-230. The longitude range 270-230 where the clouds congregate seems to coincide with the most significant regional upslope for E-W winds at that latitude.

A polar SARTopo overlying SAR swaths was published (Fig. 11 of Stiles et al paper http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2009.03.032 There are topographic variations of 500-1000 m in several localized areas near the large lakes and seas and both to the east and west of them. The data is still sparse. The overall polar surface seems fairly flat above 50 deg N. (from Zebker et al Fig. 1) https://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/324/5929/921, although the shape-elevation map (Fig 3 same paper) shows some N polar upslope as one approaches 180W longitude. There is little coverage of SAR along the 180 N longitude however. The T 30 swath and monopulse SARTopo does show some evidence of this upslope. (as mentioned in post #9 in this topic). More upslope occurs in the N to S direction on most swaths. The lakes and seas seem positioned to contribute methane evaporation to the air. I am not sure of the surface winds at 60N as the recent wind map (based on dunes) doesn't have much coverage there. All in all it seems the clouds may have multiple factors contributing to their development. (Cloud map from Brown et al http://lanl.arxiv.org/abs/0809.1841