New Simulation Reveals How the Jet Streams and Extreme Weather of Jupiter and Saturn Form

Scientists are getting a closer look at the jet streams and anticyclones of Jupiter and Saturn. They've created 3D simulations of deep jet streams and storms on the two planets.

"Since the pioneering telescope observations of Giovanni Cassini in the imd-17^th century, stargazers have wondered about the bands and spots of Jupiter," said Moritz Heimpel, one of the researchers, in a news release. "The average system can now pick up a backyard telescope and see the structures that we write about today. However, even in the present age with the Cassini spacecraft orbiting Saturn and the Juno craft approaching Jupiter, there is considerable debate about the dynamics of the atmospheres of the giant planets."

In this latest study, the researchers used fluid dynamics equations and supercomputers to create realistic simulations that reveal a bit more about the storms of Jupiter and Saturn.

"One of the big questions we have is how deep do these structures go?" said Heimpel. "These storms are embedded in these jet streams, and there's no solid surface to stop them. Our simulations imply that the jet streams plunge deep into the interior, while the storms are rather shallow."

The findings reveal a bit more about the storms and jet streams on these planets. However, the research doesn't stop there. The scientists will push their research even further once the Juno spacecraft arrives in one of Jupiter's polar orbits.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

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