Mechanisms of jet formation on the giant planets

Details Mechanisms of jet formation on the giant planets Mechanisms of jet formation on the giant planets

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p32c..04l&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P32C-04

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[3319] Atmospheric Processes / General Circulation, [5704] Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets / Atmospheres, [6220] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Jupiter, [6275] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Saturn

Scientific paper

The giant planet atmospheres exhibit alternating prograde (eastward) and retrograde (westward) jets of different speeds and widths, with an equatorial jet that is prograde on Jupiter and Saturn and retrograde on Uranus and Neptune (Porco et al. 2003, Sanchez-Lavega et al. 2003, Sanchez-Lavega et al. 2007, Hammel et al. 2001, Sromovsky et al. 2001). The jets are variously thought to be driven by differential radiative heating of the upper atmosphere or by intrinsic heat fluxes emanating from the deep interior (Williams 2003, Busse 1976, Heimpel et al. 2005, Aurnou et al. 2007). But existing models cannot account for the different flow configurations on the giant planets in an energetically consistent manner (Heimpel and Aurnou 2007, Aurnou et al. 2007). Here we use simulations with a three-dimensional general circulation model to show that the different flow configurations can be reproduced by mechanisms universal across the giant planets if differences in their radiative heating and intrinsic heat fluxes are taken into account. Whether the equatorial jet is prograde or retrograde depends on whether the deep intrinsic heat fluxes are strong enough that convection penetrates into the upper atmosphere and excites strong equatorial Rossby waves there. The different speeds and widths of the off-equatorial jets depend, among other factors, on the differential radiative heating of the atmosphere and the altitude of the jets. The simulations make predictions about as-yet unobserved aspects of the flow and temperature structures of the giant planets.

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