The origin of Jupiter's Great Red Spot
Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) is the largest and longest-lived known vortex of all solar system planets but its lifetime is debated and its formation mechanism remains hidden. G. D. Cassini discovered in 1665 the presence of a dark oval at the GRS latitude, known as the “Permanent Spot” (PS) t...
| Autores: | , , , , , |
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| Formato: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2024 |
| País: | España |
| Recursos: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/410483 |
| Acesso em linha: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/410483 https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2024GL108993 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palavra-chave: | Jupiter (Planet) Eddies Vortex-motion Júpiter (Planeta) Remolins (Mecànica de fluids) Vorticitat Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Física |
| Resumo: | Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) is the largest and longest-lived known vortex of all solar system planets but its lifetime is debated and its formation mechanism remains hidden. G. D. Cassini discovered in 1665 the presence of a dark oval at the GRS latitude, known as the “Permanent Spot” (PS) that was observed until 1713. We show from historical observations of its size evolution and motions that PS is unlikely to correspond to the current GRS, that was first observed in 1831. Numerical simulations rule out that the GRS formed by the merging of vortices or by a superstorm, but most likely formed from a flow disturbance between the two opposed Jovian zonal jets north and south of it. If so, the early GRS should have had a low tangential velocity so that its rotation velocity has increased over time as it has shrunk. |
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