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Observation of moist convection in Jupiter's atmosphere

Author

Listed:
  • P. J. Gierasch

    (Cornell University)

  • A. P. Ingersoll

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • D. Banfield

    (Cornell University)

  • S. P. Ewald

    (California Institute of Technology)

  • P. Helfenstein

    (Cornell University)

  • A. Simon-Miller

    (Cornell University)

  • A. Vasavada

    (University of California at Los Angeles)

  • H. H. Breneman

    (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)

  • D. A. Senske

    (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)

  • Galileo Imaging Team

Abstract

The energy source driving Jupiter's active meteorology is not understood1. There are two main candidates: a poorly understood internal heat source and sunlight. Here we report observations of an active storm system possessing both lightning and condensation of water. The storm has a vertical extent of at least 50 km and a length of about 4,000 km. Previous observations2,3 of lightning on Jupiter have revealed both its frequency of occurrence and its spatial distribution, but they did not permit analysis of the detailed cloud structure and its dynamics. The present observations reveal the storm (on the day side of the planet) at the same location and within just a few hours of a lightning detection (on the night side). We estimate that the total vertical transport of heat by storms like the one observed here is of the same order as the planet's internal heat source. We therefore conclude that moist convection—similar to large clusters of thunderstorm cells on the Earth—is a dominant factor in converting heat flow into kinetic energy in the jovian atmosphere.

Suggested Citation

  • P. J. Gierasch & A. P. Ingersoll & D. Banfield & S. P. Ewald & P. Helfenstein & A. Simon-Miller & A. Vasavada & H. H. Breneman & D. A. Senske & Galileo Imaging Team, 2000. "Observation of moist convection in Jupiter's atmosphere," Nature, Nature, vol. 403(6770), pages 628-630, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:403:y:2000:i:6770:d:10.1038_35001017
    DOI: 10.1038/35001017
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    Cited by:

    1. Xinyue Wang & Liming Li & Xun Jiang & Patrick M. Fry & Robert A. West & Conor A. Nixon & Larry Guan & Thishan D. Karandana G & Ronald Albright & Joshua E. Colwell & Tristan Guillot & Mark D. Hofstadte, 2024. "Cassini spacecraft reveals global energy imbalance of Saturn," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.

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