Spatial distribution of visible lightning on Jupiter

An analysis of Voyager images of Jupiter is used to evaluate the horizontal spatial distribution of visible lightning over most of one hemisphere. Essentially all the detectable activity is confined to very narrow latitude bands at 13.5 N and 49 N. The active regions at 49 N are the brightest, most...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNature (London) Vol. 349; no. 6307; pp. 311 - 313
Main Authors Magalhaes, J. A., Borucki, W. J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Legacy CDMS Nature Publishing 24.01.1991
Nature Publishing Group
Subjects
Astronomy
Atmosphere
Atmospheric waves
Cameras
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Horizontal distribution
Jupiter
Jupiter atmosphere
Jupiter probes
Latitude
Lightning
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Noise
Periodicity
Planets
Planets, their satellites and rings. Asteroids
Solar system
Spacecraft
Spatial discrimination
Spatial distribution
Spatial resolution
Storms
Planetary atmosphere
Jupiter
Spatial distribution
Imagery
Space probe observation
Lightning
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Summary:An analysis of Voyager images of Jupiter is used to evaluate the horizontal spatial distribution of visible lightning over most of one hemisphere. Essentially all the detectable activity is confined to very narrow latitude bands at 13.5 N and 49 N. The active regions at 49 N are the brightest, most numerous, and periodic in longitude. Activity at this latitude is long-lived and is most likely associated with moist convective regions deep in Jupiter's atmosphere. The longitudinal periodicity of the lightning storms may represent the effects of a planetary scale atmospheric wave trapped at the depth of the moist convection.
Bibliography:CDMS
Legacy CDMS
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ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/349311a0