For a long time, people have been wondering about the Great Red Spot. How could a storm become so big that it swallows up other storms?

 

Can someone explain the physics behind this?

 

I vaguely remember a simulation where colored dyes were dropped into some liquid that revolved causing it to swirl. After time, one swirl dominated over the others. Can someone verify this?

Its a really big storm.

 

Everything I have seen indicates that the mechanisms behind the storm are well understood, its just had a really long time to grow. Actually, its been shrinking since it was discovered, and it will be gone completely in some amount of time.

 

Its just a storm like on earth, only on a vastly larger scale as far as I know.

From what I remeber....the stability, and to some extent the size of the "great red spot" on Jupiter are related to the speed and sheer of the seperate bands rotating at the rough equator of the Planet. I believe the rotation of the planetary cloud bands literally, Rub against each other and create disturbances that can be compounded in certain circumstances.

the mechanisms behind the storm are well understood,

Or they may not be, and Hoagland may be right. It's an amazing coincidence that so many things happen at the same latitude on so many planets, isn't it?

 

No, I'm not a devotee, but his arguments are compelling and his predictions for the north pole of Saturn were accurate.

Who is Hoagland? I dont know what you are talking about here.

'']Who is Hoagland? I dont know what you are talking about here.

Fringe science, elegantly packaged. This is his home site. Google for 'Hoagland jupiter' and you'll turn up a number of debunkers.

http://www.enterprisemission.com/

I did that Google and found it interesting. All of the debunkers links I followed attacked the man. Not one disputed his maths or predictions.

 

That normally only happens when the opposition can't refute the claims. An idea should stand or fall on it's merits and maths, not be judged by who puts it forward.