Clusters of cyclones encircling Jupiter ’s poles

Clusters of cyclones encircling Jupiter’s poles Nature 555, 7695 (2018). doi:10.1038/nature25491 Authors: A. Adriani, A. Mura, G. Orton, C. Hansen, F. Altieri, M. L. Moriconi, J. Rogers, G. Eichstädt, T. Momary, A. P. Ingersoll, G. Filacchione, G. Sindoni, F. Tabataba-Vakili, B. M. Dinelli, F. Fabiano, S. J. Bolton, J. E. P. Connerney, S. K. Atreya, J. I. Lunine, F. Tosi, A. Migliorini, D. Grassi, G. Piccioni, R. Noschese, A. Cicchetti, C. Plainaki, A. Olivieri, M. E. O’Neill, D. Turrini, S. Stefani, R. Sordini & M. Amoroso The familiar axisymmetric zones and belts that characterize Jupiter’s weather system at lower latitudes give way to pervasive cyclonic activity at higher latitudes. Two-dimensional turbulence in combination with the Coriolis β-effect (that is, the large meridionally varying Coriolis force on the giant planets of the Solar System) produces alternating zonal flows. The zonal flows weaken with rising latitude so that a transition between equatorial jets and polar turbulence on Jupiter can occur. Simulations with shallow-water models of giant planets support this transition by producing both alternating flows near the equator and circumpolar cyclones near the poles. Jovian polar regions are not visible from Earth owing to Jupiter’s low axial tilt, and were poorly characterized by previous missions because the trajectories of these missions did not venture far from Jupiter’s equatorial plane. Here we report that visibl...
Source: Nature - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Letter Source Type: research
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