This is a graph of the temperature profile.
Click on image for full size
Image from: Ethane Haze in the Atmosphere of Uranus

Uranus' Methane Clouds

The methane cloud deck of Uranus is found low in the troposphere. The methane clouds are the only clouds to be found on Uranus. The location of the clouds is predicted based upon the temperature at which methane vapor will condense. The altitude at which the temperature of condensation occurs, according to the temperature profile shown in the figure by a straight black line, is where the clouds ought to be.

The graph shows that the temperature in the troposphere goes from about -243° F (120 kelvins) to about -370° F (55 K). The clouds are found at about 50 km below the tropopause, where the temperature becomes about 70 K.


Last modified May 28, 2010 by Randy Russell.

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