beta plane corrections to nonlinear atmospheric flow patterns application to jupiters great red spot (GRS) drift dynamics

TL;DR

This paper extends the ta-plane theory to include planetary vorticity gradients, successfully predicting Jupiter's GRS drift and oscillations, and demonstrating the theory's universality across different planets.

Contribution

The study introduces an ta-plane correction incorporating the Rossby parameter, improving predictions of vortex drift and dynamics on Jupiter and other planets.

Findings

Predicted GRS westward drift velocity of 3.7 m/s, closely matching observed 3.9 m/s.

Explained the 90-day oscillation in GRS drift rate.

Demonstrated the universality of ta-plane theory across multiple planetary atmospheres.

Abstract

The Great Red Spot (GRS) of Jupiter has been observed for over a century, with researchers studying its characteristics and dynamics, including its size, depth, movement, and interactions with its environment. Recently, the f-plane thin-shell asymptotic analysis was used to explain some of the GRS features, but the method failed to capture the observed westward drift of the GRS. In this study, the f-plane theory was extended by including the Rossby parameter in the \beta-plane approximation and using the dimensionless Rossby deformation parameter \gamma, to systematically apply perturbation theory. The westward drift velocity of 3.7 m/s was analytically predicted, which is 95% in agreement with the observed 3.9 m/s. The observed 90-day oscillation in drift rate was explained. Also explained is the north-south asymmetry in circulation patterns. The universality of the \b{eta}-plane theory was demonstrated by its application to the vortices on Saturn, Neptune and Earth, without free parameters. It was demonstrated in this study that for the understanding of long-lived atmospheric vortex dynamics, the planetary vorticity gradient is very critical.