You are watching: Why does jupiter have several distinct cloud layers
Sections:Atmospheric Structure and also CloudsJovian world WeatherClimate and also Weather ~ above JupiterRelated linksRelated Lessons:Great Red point out PinwheelHappy Landings: A Splash or a Splat?
The atmospheric frameworks of the 4 jovian planets are all rather similar. The primary difference is the the atmospheres obtain progressively cooler with boosting distance from the Sun. An alert on the diagram the clouds the a certain composition constantly occur at around the exact same temperature. For example, the ammonia clouds on both Jupiter and also Saturn form at one atmospheric temperature of about 150 K. This wake up to be roughly 25 km below the cloud optimal on Jupiter and also 100 km listed below the cloud height on Saturn.
Each jovian planet has unique cloud layers, with altitudes dictated by the atmospheric level at which miscellaneous gases can condense into liquid droplets or hard flakes.
JUPITER and also SATURN CLOUD LAYERS:Ammonia clouds (150° K)Ammonium Hydrosulfide clouds (200° K)Water clouds (270° K)Since Saturn"s environment is cooler than Jupiter"s at any certain altitude, the assorted cloud layers happen deeper within Saturn"s atmosphere.
URANUS and also NEPTUNE CLOUD LAYERS:Methane clouds (75 K)
Methane have the right to condense in the an extremely cold upper troposphere the Uranus and of Neptune, but not in the warmer troposphere that Jupiter or Saturn.
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JOVIAN world WEATHER
Jupiter"s weather phenomena (clouds, winds storms) room by much the strongest and most energetic of the jovian planets, but weather is discovered on every four.
Like Jupiter, Saturn has actually stripes of alternating color and wind direction, though in more subdued colors. Even though Saturn has actually an axis tilt comparable to that of Earth, we don"t check out the dramatic seasons we might expect. Part weather alters have been observed, but Saturn"s internal heat keeps temperatures around the exact same year-round and also planet-wide.
Uranus is essentially tipped top top its side so we would mean it to go through excessive seasonal alters during that 84-year orbit about the Sun. Once Voyager 2 flew previous in 1986, Uranus"s northern hemisphere to be facing almost directly towards the Sun, and its southerly hemisphere remained in perpetual darkness. Photographs revealed practically no clouds and no banded structures choose those found on the various other jovian planets. More recent observations present storms in Uranus"s atmosphere. The storms may be brewing because of the an altering seasons as the southerly hemisphere sees sunlight for the an initial time in decades.
Neptune"s setting is banded, and has a high-pressure storm, called the Great Dark Spot, the is similar to Jupiter"s great Red Spot. The great Dark point out disappeared in 1994, however was changed with a comparable storm soon after. Prefer Saturn, Neptune has actually an axis tilt similar to Earth"s however it has fairly little seasonal readjust because of its interior heat. The heat produced in Neptune"s interior is released uniformly and also keeps the temperature about the very same year-round and also planet-wide.
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CLIMATE and also WEATHER ~ above JUPITER
Jupiter"s most renowned feature is its an excellent Red Spot, i beg your pardon is clearly shows in Jupiter"s southerly hemisphere. The an excellent Red point out is more than twice as wide as Earth.
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Jupiter"s climate is steady and most likely unchanging due to the fact that it has actually no appreciable axis tilt and, therefore, no seasons. Solar heater alone could leave the poles reasonably cool, yet internal warm keeps the world uniformly warm.
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RELATED LINKSJupiter setting Images at invernessgangshow.netThe Juno new Frontiers Mission main Homepage
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