Tempests in the Troposphere: Mapping the Impact of Giant Storms on Jupiter's Deep Atmosphere

TL;DR

This study uses Juno observations and simulations to analyze how large storms on Jupiter influence ammonia and temperature distribution, revealing complex interactions in the planet's deep atmosphere.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the impact of giant storms on Jupiter's ammonia and temperature distribution, highlighting the coupling of water and ammonia cycles.

Findings

Storms deplete ammonia in the upper atmosphere

Storms heat the atmosphere and deposit material below trigger layers

Water and ammonia cycles are strongly coupled in giant planet atmospheres

Abstract

Storms are emerging as key drivers in shaping hydrogen-dominated atmospheres. Trace gas condensation can suppress convection and disrupt the distribution of energy and material in hydrogen atmospheres. On Jupiter, the presence of water has been invoked to control the occurrence of large-scale storms; however, the impact of storms on the ammonia and temperature distribution is unknown. We use Juno Microwave Radiometer observations of a large-scale storm in 2017 to study the aftermath of such a storm on the atmosphere. Anomalies in the retrieved ammonia abundance and atmospheric temperature show how storms deplete and heat the upper atmosphere while simultaneously depositing material well below the layers they were triggered at. These observations, aided by simulations, show that the water and ammonia cycles are coupled and that their combined effect plays a key role in explaining the depletion of ammonia in the tropospheres of Jupiter and Saturn.