The Reversal of Jupiter’s Jet Stream

A recent study by NASA has revealed that there is an east-west jet stream above Jupiter’s equator which reverses course periodically. Scientists have found the type of wave which forces this jet to change its direction.

The same kind of jet streams has been examined on Saturn and Earth also. The study aspires to collaborate the modelling of Jupiter’s atmosphere with observations made over five years from NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility. In the case of Earth the alternating wind patterns initiate in the lower stratosphere and propagate to the lowest layer. In eastward phase, there is warm temperature and in westward phase its cool. This pattern is called Earth's quasi-biennial oscillation, or QBO and one cycle lasts for 28 months. The cycle of Jupiter is called as quasi-quadrennial oscillation, or QQO, and it lasts about four Earth years. Researchers are trying to figure out the similarities in these phenomena and the contribution of atmospheric waves in driving the oscillations. The team concluded that equatorial jet extends quite high into Jupiter's stratosphere. The model assumes that the gravity waves force the QQO to change direction. This model can be used for studying the effects of these mechanisms in other planets also.
By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171219091337.htm