Fluid dynamics studied in Earth’s oceans show what drives Jupiter’s powerful cyclones.
The roiling storms of Jupiter are one of the most captivating sights in the Solar System, but to one team of researchers, they look strikingly similar to something here on Earth.
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Research led by oceanographer Lia Siegelman applies fluid dynamics principles used in the study of Earth’s oceans to the cyclones on Jupiter’s north pole.
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Siegelman’s research was driven by satellite images of both Jupiter and Earth.
NASA’s Juno satellite has been circling Jupiter since 2016, providing unprecedented views of the gas giant and its moons.
These images reminded Siegelman of swirling ocean currents seen on Earth, which are particularly visible around plankton blooms.
For the new study, published in Nature Physics, researchers examined infrared images to determine the thickness of Jovian clouds.
Hot spots on the images represent thinner clouds, which allow Juno to see further into Jupiter’s atmosphere. Cold spots indicate thicker clouds, which block the planet’s heat from the satellite.
As hotter, less dense air rises, it causes turbulence in Jupiter’s clouds. When enough of this small-scale turbulence occurs, it stirs the atmosphere enough to generate large-scale cyclones.
Jupiter’s large-scale polar cyclones can have radii of more than 600 miles and wind speeds of more than 200 miles per hour.
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Siegelman says studies of Jupiter’s energy system could help scientists better understand similar dynamics at play in Earth’s atmosphere.