Particulate matter in the Venus atmosphere

Abstract We present a summary of the data currently available (June 1984) describing the planet-enshrouding particulate matter in the Venus atmosphere. A description and discussion of the state of knowledge of the Venus clouds and hazes precedes the tables and plots. The tabular material includes a precis of upper haze and cloud-top properties, parameters for model-size distributions for particles and particulate layers, and columnar masses and mass loadings. The plots are of experimental and derived quantities and include: (1) altitude dependences of volumetric scattering cross sections, size mode number densities, mass loadings, and optical depths, (2) wavelength dependences of asymmetry parameters and optical depths, and (3) latitude and longitude dependence of cloud top properties.