Theturbopause, also called thehomopause, marks the altitude in an atmosphere below whichturbulent mixing dominates. Mathematically, it is defined as the point where the coefficient ofEddy diffusion is equal to the coefficient ofmolecular diffusion.[1] The region below the turbopause is known as thehomosphere, where the atmosphere is well mixed for chemical species which have longmean residence times. Highly reactive chemicals tend to have variable concentration throughout the atmosphere, while unreactive species have more homogeneous concentrations. The region above the turbopause is theheterosphere, wheremolecular diffusion dominates and the chemical composition of the atmosphere varies according to chemical species and their atomic weight.
Earth's turbopause lies near themesopause, at the intersection of themesosphere and thethermosphere, at an altitude of roughly 90 km (56 mi).[2] Some other turbopauses in theSolar System that are known includeVenus' turbopause at about 130–135 km (81–84 mi),Mars' at about 130 km (81 mi),Jupiter's at roughly 385 km (239 mi), andTitan's at around 800–850 km (500–530 mi).[3]
It was discovered byFrench scientists following the firing of twoVéronique sounding rockets on 10 and 12 March 1959.[4]
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