{
  "abstract": "Previous ALMA observations have revealed unexpectedly strong and rapid variations in Titan’s high-altitude equatorial zonal winds, which present a challenge to our understanding of this moon’s atmospheric dynamics. Here we report further measurements of Titan’s zonal wind field at middle atmospheric altitudes ≈200–490 km, based on ALMA observations of spatially and spectrally resolved CH ₃ CN emission between 2016 and 2023 (corresponding to a solar longitude L s = 81 . ° 6 – 156 . ° 4 , spanning Titan’s late southern autumn to late winter). These observations indicate substantial, ongoing, rapid temporal variability of Titan’s zonal winds, on timescales as short as ≈1 Earth month ( 0 . ° 9 in L s ). The strongest variability is at (near-)equatorial latitudes where the zonal winds are fastest (up to 240 ± 26 m s ⁻¹ ), with repeated ∼40 m s ⁻¹ fluctuations occurring between L s = 146 . ° 0 – 156 . ° 4 . The observed longer-term trends are qualitatively well-reproduced by two independent, state-of-the-art general circulation models (GCMs), which match the observed decrease in zonal wind speeds over a broad range of latitudes between L s = 81 . ° 6 – 146 . ° 0 , followed by a more moderate increase between L s = 146 . ° 0 – 156 . ° 4 . The wind speeds at mid-to-high latitudes (∼−45° south) are also typically reasonably well reproduced by the GCMs (differing by ≲30%). However, the equatorial wind speeds are up to a factor of ∼2 faster than model predictions (with the greatest discrepancy around solstice; L s ≈ 90°). Rapid temporal variability of the retrieved zonal winds indicates the presence of strong atmospheric instabilities that are not well reproduced by models, suggesting a need for future GCM improvements.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Astrochemistry Laboratory",
    "Catholic University of America",
    "Aeolis Research",
    "Yale University",
    "University of Bristol",
    "Space Telescope Science Institute",
    "California Institute of Technology",
    "The Open University",
    "Ulster University",
    "Southwest Research Institute"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 13,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Martin A. Cordiner",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8233-2436"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yuan Lian",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5257-9849"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Juan M. Lora",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9925-1050"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Nicholas A. Lombardo",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8621-6520"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Lucy Wright",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-6023-5755"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jonathon Nosowitz",
      "orcid": "0009-0004-1366-9472"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Richard Cosentino",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3047-615X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Nicholas A. Teanby",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-3108-5775"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Conor A. Nixon",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9540-9121"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Alexander E. Thelen",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8178-1042"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        7,
        8
      ],
      "name": "Claire E. Newman",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9990-8817"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Steven B. Charnley",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6752-5109"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        9
      ],
      "name": "Eliot F. Young"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2pfjqxryght0d.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3847/psj/aeb004",
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  "id": "2pfjqxryght0d",
  "issns": [
    "2632-3338"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/aeb004",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "feed-journal",
      "astronomy/planetary"
    ],
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      "openalex",
      "3103|Astro and Planetary Science"
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  "pdf_url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/aeb004/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "publisher": "American Astronomical Society",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2pfjqxryght0d.ris",
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  "title": "Temporal Variability of Titan’s Middle-atmospheric Zonal Winds from Southern Fall to Late Winter (2016–2023)",
  "title_text": "Temporal Variability of Titan’s Middle-atmospheric Zonal Winds from Southern Fall to Late Winter (2016–2023)",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:16Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2pfjqxryght0d",
  "venue": "The Planetary Science Journal",
  "versions": []
}