Subsurface FlowsThe plots below show synoptic charts of the inferred flows at 1.2Mm, 2Mm and 7Mm below the surface, superposed on synoptic magnetic data derived from GONG+ magnetograms. To guide the eye, the arrows have been color-coded by direction. The strong east-west (zonal) trend at the deeper depth reflects the presence of the subsurface shear layer. Some animations of the daily flow maps are also available. | |
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| Below, the zonal (left) and poleward or meridional (right) components of the flow have been averaged longitudinally over one Carrington rotation to reveal the underlying pattern. The surface rotation rate (tracking rate) has been subtracted. The increase of the zonal flows with increasing depths reflects the well-known increase of the rotation rate near the outer shear layer.The black curve represents the zonal flow at r=0.99Rsun derived from a global rotation inversion. The local method distinguishes between the hemispheres, while the global analysis leads to a better resolution in latitude. | |
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