At http://phys.org/print369509807.html … Russian, American and European scientists are claiming they have found a warm layer in the atmosphere of Venus, the nature of which is unknown. This has been a theme on the Eric Aitchison email thread (mainly discussing revised chronology issues) with some interesting links and references.
Over some years a layer at altitudes around 100km high were noted as anomalous as the region was warmer than expected. The layer is at the same altitude as ozone – but is one influencing the other? One possibility suggested is that chemical reactions involved in the decomposition of ozone may come into contact with chlorine and release heat in the process. Green Peace got all excited about chlorine in the atmosphere of the earth a few years ago without telling their fans it was a building block of life and is virtually everywhere – even on Venus.
Velikovsky of course predicted that Venus would be found to be much warmer than other planets – and that was subsequently discovered during the Space Age. His idea revolved around Venus being a young addition to the solar system and it is true their are oddities involved as Venus rotates in the direction of its movement along the circumsolar orbit – but in the opposite direction to the other planets. Its rotation axis is tilted at 177 degrees, which also has a bearing. During the long Venusan night the upper atmosphere cools – presumably getting cooler and cooler. The anomaly here is that it is 20 degrees warmer in the morning than it is in the evening – after a night time of cooling. This is one of those Christmas cracker riddles – what is going on in the atmosphere of Venus (and now we have this heat spot).
See Planetary and Space Science journal DOI:10.1016/j.pss.2014.12.009