Vortex Organization and the Cloud Level Circulation from Venus Monitoring Camera Observations from Venus Express

The Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC) has been observing Venus cloud cover at four wavelengths from the Venus Express spacecraft orbiting Venus since April 2006. The apocenter observations have enabled determination of the southern hemisphere cloud level flow by tracking cloud features using automated digital tracking between equator and mid-latitudes. Beyond about 45 degrees latitude, the cloud morphology and the moderately low resolution of the apocenter images makes cloud tracking very challenging and somewhat unreliable. Results from visual tracking have been presented by Moissl et al. (2009)