Andrew P. Ingersoll
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691145044
- eISBN:
- 9781400848232
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691145044.003.0008
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Climate
This chapter examines the effect of winds on Jupiter's weather. The Great Red Spot is an atmospheric structure—a storm—that is free to move about under the laws of fluid dynamics. On Earth, these ...
More
This chapter examines the effect of winds on Jupiter's weather. The Great Red Spot is an atmospheric structure—a storm—that is free to move about under the laws of fluid dynamics. On Earth, these laws lead to turbulence, chaos, and limited predictability. By comparison, the Red Spot is well behaved. It stays in one latitude band, rolling like a ball bearing between two conveyor belts—a westward current to the north and an eastward current to the south. All the large-scale features are remarkably constant. Atmospheric scientists during the Voyager encounter were surprised by the areas outside the Red Spot and the three white ovals—formerly featureless areas that had become turbulent convective regions. The chapter first provides an overview of long-range weather forecasting on Jupiter before discussing the dynamics of rotating fluids, momentum transfer by eddies, stability of zonal jets, geostrophic balance, vorticity, and abyssal weather.Less
This chapter examines the effect of winds on Jupiter's weather. The Great Red Spot is an atmospheric structure—a storm—that is free to move about under the laws of fluid dynamics. On Earth, these laws lead to turbulence, chaos, and limited predictability. By comparison, the Red Spot is well behaved. It stays in one latitude band, rolling like a ball bearing between two conveyor belts—a westward current to the north and an eastward current to the south. All the large-scale features are remarkably constant. Atmospheric scientists during the Voyager encounter were surprised by the areas outside the Red Spot and the three white ovals—formerly featureless areas that had become turbulent convective regions. The chapter first provides an overview of long-range weather forecasting on Jupiter before discussing the dynamics of rotating fluids, momentum transfer by eddies, stability of zonal jets, geostrophic balance, vorticity, and abyssal weather.
Andrew P. Ingersoll
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691145044
- eISBN:
- 9781400848232
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691145044.003.0007
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Climate
This chapter examines Jupiter's climate and what it reveals about the solar system. During its first 105 years, the solar system was a melting pot in which material from stars with different chemical ...
More
This chapter examines Jupiter's climate and what it reveals about the solar system. During its first 105 years, the solar system was a melting pot in which material from stars with different chemical compositions was blended together. The high temperatures resulting from the release of enormous amounts of gravitational potential energy aided the melting process. Aside from being the largest planet, Jupiter is also the one whose composition most resembles that of the Sun. The chapter begins with a discussion of solar composition, focusing on the abundances of elements in Jupiter's atmosphere compared with those on the Sun. It then considers the origin and evolution of Jupiter and the solar system more generally, along with the vertical structure of clouds and temperature. It also explains the presence of lightning in Jupiter's atmosphere, the Great Red Spot, enrichment relative to solar composition, horizontal temperature structure, and hot air ballooning.Less
This chapter examines Jupiter's climate and what it reveals about the solar system. During its first 105 years, the solar system was a melting pot in which material from stars with different chemical compositions was blended together. The high temperatures resulting from the release of enormous amounts of gravitational potential energy aided the melting process. Aside from being the largest planet, Jupiter is also the one whose composition most resembles that of the Sun. The chapter begins with a discussion of solar composition, focusing on the abundances of elements in Jupiter's atmosphere compared with those on the Sun. It then considers the origin and evolution of Jupiter and the solar system more generally, along with the vertical structure of clouds and temperature. It also explains the presence of lightning in Jupiter's atmosphere, the Great Red Spot, enrichment relative to solar composition, horizontal temperature structure, and hot air ballooning.
