A team of American scientists has discovered that Jupiter’s Great Red Spot—the largest storm in our solar system—may be sustained by smaller, transient storms. Without these interactions, the iconic tempest could shrink significantly within 950 days.
The findings, published in the latest issue of the journal Icarus, shed new light on the dynamics of this massive Jovian storm. Located in Jupiter’s southern hemisphere, the Great Red Spot is a swirling, red-orange oval of high pressure, spanning over 16,000 kilometers in width. Observations over the past century, particularly in the last 50 years, have shown that the storm has been gradually shrinking.
While its north-south extent has remained relatively constant, the storm’s east-west span has contracted dramatically—from covering 40 degrees of longitude in the late 19th century to just 14 degrees by 2016.
Researchers from Yale University and the University of Louisville focused their study on the impact of smaller, transient storms on the Great Red Spot. Using the Explicit Planetary Isentropic Coordinate (EPIC) model—an atmospheric simulation tool developed in the 1990s by study co-author Timothy Dowling—they conducted a series of three-dimensional simulations.
Some simulations included interactions between the Great Red Spot and smaller storms of varying frequency and intensity, while control simulations omitted these smaller storms entirely. The comparison revealed that the presence of these transient storms actually strengthens the Great Red Spot, causing it to maintain or even increase its size. In contrast, without the infusion of energy from these smaller storms, the Great Red Spot would diminish significantly within just 950 days.
This research offers valuable insights into the atmospheric dynamics of Jupiter and highlights the importance of smaller-scale weather events in sustaining larger systems. Understanding these processes not only enhances our knowledge of Jupiter but also contributes to the broader study of planetary atmospheres and weather patterns.
Reference(s):
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