Jupiter's Cloud Bands

[Gareth56]

If Jupiter is rotating in just one direction why are there bands of clouds that move in alternating directions i.e one band travels West to East then one underneath that flows East to West and so on?

 

Thanks

[insane_alien]

there are similar wind systems on earth, google trade winds.

 

although if you factor in the planets rotation, they are all moving in the one direction just some are moving slower than others.

 

for them to be moving opposite to roatational velocity then the winds would have to be going some 40000km/h which they're not.

[Gareth56]

So why does high wind speed cause contra-rotation only of some bands and why is it alternating?

[Arch2008]

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/jupiter_stripes_020913.html

 

There's apparently no friction with any Jovian surface, so small forces can grow to "zonal jets". Zonal jets get bands moving in alternate directions.

[CaptainPanic]

there are similar wind systems on earth, google trade winds.

 

although if you factor in the planets rotation, they are all moving in the one direction just some are moving slower than others.

 

for them to be moving opposite to roatational velocity then the winds would have to be going some 40000km/h which they're not.

 

The earth's circumference is 40000 km, and rotates once per day. To oppose the rotational velocity, the winds need to be 40000/24 = 1700 km/hr. Still, they're not that fast.

 

[edit] Oh, wait - Jupiter's circumference is 449000 kilometer (!), and it rotates once every 10 hrs... so, that's roughly 40000 km/h.

p.s. holy crap, the centrifugal force on Jupiter must be quite significant.

Edited October 20, 2009 by CaptainPanic

[Fuzzwood]

Yeah

 

/me points at the permanent big ass cyclone that jupiter has on its southern hemisphere

[Airbrush]

For some interesting info about Jupiter's atmosphere, and how it gradually becomes more dense, hot, and liquid, as you go deeper into the atmosphere, you should see The Universe episode about "Liquids in the Universe" on the History Channel. That was fascinating. At some point it gets so dense and hot that it is hotter than the surface of the Sun and gradually transitions from dense gas to hot liquid hydrogen. When you think of liquid hydrogen you would think very very cold, but Jupiter is different. The pressure is so very great that hydrogen can be hot AND liquid.

[insane_alien]

well, its actually a supercritical fluid. in the super critical regime there is no gas or liquid. they are not distinct phases of matter and there is no transition point. the really interesting bit is when there is a transition to metallic hydrogen.