When we talk about our solar system, Jupiter needs no introduction. The Jovian gas giant is the largest planet in our solar system and even though it may seem like not much is going on in there from afar, the giant boasts of ferocious storms that have been going on for years now.
One of the most prominent features in our neighbor is the great red spot which is big enough to fit three earths inside of it. The first glimpse of the spot was captured by Voyager 1 which flew by Jupiter in 1979, the intensity of the storm can be compared to the worst storms/hurricanes experienced by Earth or even worse.
What is interesting is that the mechanisms involved in the making of these storms are quite similar to the ones that occur on Earth, a new study has revealed. The study will also give impetus to further research on various meteorological phenomena on Earth as well.
The research titled ‘Frontogenesis at Jovian High Latitudes’ has taken into account an analysis of infra-red imaging captured by the Juno spacecraft at the gas giant’s poles. The study was published on 6th June in the journal, Nature Physics.
The research observed that the imagery unveiled widespread vortices, indicating areas within a fluid where the flow rotates around an axis, ranging from hundreds to thousands of kilometers in diameter, with filaments measuring tens of kilometers wide interspersed among the vortices.
The most recent study is spearheaded by Lia Siegelman, a physical oceanographer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. According to the researchers, their analysis indicates that the filaments exhibit dynamic activity.
In 2018 Siegelman in her study spoke about the similarity between the two planets while making a conjecture about it. She underscores the striking similarity between the storms on Jupiter and the Ocean turbulence on Earth that she was studying, as per a report by phys.org.
She iterated that air and water both are considered fluidic mixtures to a physicist and thus she applied the the mechanics of the Oceans to Jupiter’s atmosphere. “Jupiter is basically an ocean of gas,” she said as quoted.
In 2022, an initial observation, in which Siegelman served as a co-author, was published in Nature Physics. This study scrutinized high-resolution infrared images of Jupiter’s cyclones captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. While the primary focus of the earlier research was on Jupiter’s cyclones, Siegelman noticed wispy tendrils, termed filaments, amidst the gaseous vortices. Intrigued, Siegelman pursued a follow-up study using Juno’s detailed imagery to delve into their connection to cyclones on Earth.
The latest study reveals that these filaments bear resemblance to what oceanographers and meteorologists identify as fronts—boundaries delineating gas or liquid masses with distinct densities attributable to variations in characteristics like temperature.
Observing these intricate connections on Earth can be difficult due to their subtle and fleeting characteristics. However, the introduction of the SWOT satellite could significantly simplify the process of monitoring these ocean phenomena.
“There is some cosmic beauty in finding out that these physical mechanisms on Earth exist on other far-away planets,” Siegelman concluded.
Jupiter rotates rapidly and is the fastest rotating planet in the solar system completing one rotation in 10 hours only! This rapid rotation gives birth to intense jet streams which are coupled up with the intense Coriolis force generated due to planet’s mass and rotation.
In addition to the Great Red Spot, Jupiter hosts numerous other storms, ranging from smaller red spots to white ovals and even brown splotches. These storms exhibit different durations, with some enduring for years while others dissipate relatively quickly.
