Fluctuations in Jupiter’s equatorial stratospheric oscillation

Antuñano, Arrate; Cosentino, Richard; Fletcher, Leigh N.; Simon-Miller, A. A.; Greathouse, T. K.; Orton, Glenn S.

doi:10.1038/s41550-020-1165-5

Cited by 27 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(24 reference statements)

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“…This would lead to a JEO period of 4 yr and 8 months, in agreement with previous measurements (Leovy et al 1991;Orton et al 1991). We note that Antuñano et al (2021) has now demonstrated that this periodicity is variable and can even be disrupted, as observed by Giles et al (2020). Such disruptions may originate from the outbreak of thermal anomalies like the one seen in May 2017 at 1 mbar pressure, 20 • N latitude, and 180 • W longitude (See Fig.…”

Section: Zonal Winds In the Jeo Regionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…The downward propagation of the JEO has also been measured from long-term monitoring temperature observations carried out at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) using the Texas Echelon Cross-Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES; Cosentino et al 2017Cosentino et al , 2020Giles et al 2020), which allow the retrieval of A&A 652, A125 (2021) horizontally and vertically resolved stratospheric temperatures. Recently, Antuñano et al (2021) showed that Jupiter's QQO does not have a stable periodicity, and alterations could result from thermal perturbations (Giles et al 2020). Here, we therefore refer to the Jupiter equatorial oscillation (JEO) rather than the QQO.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mapping the zonal winds of Jupiter’s stratospheric equatorial oscillation

Benmahi

Cavalié

Greathouse

et al. 2021

A&A

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Context. Since the 1950s, quasi-periodic oscillations have been studied in the terrestrial equatorial stratosphere. Other planets of the Solar System present (or are expected to present) such oscillations; for example the Jupiter equatorial oscillation and the Saturn semi-annual oscillation. In Jupiter’s stratosphere, the equatorial oscillation of its relative temperature structure about the equator is characterized by a quasi-period of 4.4 yr. Aims. The stratospheric wind field in Jupiter’s equatorial zone has never been directly observed. In this paper, we aim to map the absolute wind speeds in Jupiter’s equatorial stratosphere in order to quantify vertical and horizontal wind and temperature shear. Methods. Assuming geostrophic equilibrium, we apply the thermal wind balance using almost simultaneous stratospheric temperature measurements between 0.1 and 30 mbar performed with Gemini/TEXES and direct zonal wind measurements derived at 1 mbar from ALMA observations, all carried out between March 14 and 22, 2017. We are thus able to self-consistently calculate the zonal wind field in Jupiter’s stratosphere where the JEO occurs. Results. We obtain a stratospheric map of the zonal wind speeds as a function of latitude and pressure about Jupiter’s equator for the first time. The winds are vertically layered with successive eastward and westward jets. We find a 200 m s−1 westward jet at 4 mbar at the equator, with a typical longitudinal variability on the order of ~50 m s−1. By extending our wind calculations to the upper troposphere, we find a wind structure that is qualitatively close to the wind observed using cloud-tracking techniques. Conclusions. Almost simultaneous temperature and wind measurements, both in the stratosphere, are a powerful tool for future investigations of the JEO (and other planetary equatorial oscillations) and its temporal evolution.

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Section: Zonal Winds In the Jeo Regionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping the zonal winds of Jupiter’s stratospheric equatorial oscillation

Benmahi

Cavalié

Greathouse

et al. 2021

A&A

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“…Temperature oscillations at 330 mbar (Fig. 2A) appear to lag equatorial zonal-mean stratospheric temperature oscillations in 1980-2011 26 by ~2 years, consistent with the shorter study of 1978-2001 data 9 . This implies that the 330-mbar oscillation is compatible with "top-down" control of tropospheric temperatures by the dynamics of the stratosphere, similar to "sudden warming" events in the Earth's atmosphere 27 .…”

supporting

confidence: 85%

Long-Term Behavior of Tropospheric Temperatures in Jupiter: Evidence for Quasi-Seasonal and Non-Seasonal Variability

Orton

Antuñano

Fletcher

et al. 2022

Preprint

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A four-decade study of ground-based mid-infrared observations of Jupiter covering three and a half of its solar orbits over ±30° of latitude has revealed unexpected variations of upper-tropospheric temperatures. Patterns of variability with 10-14 year periods at discrete latitudes were discovered, all within ±2 years of Jupiter’s 11.9-year orbital period. Their repeated pattern of temperature variations is strongly anticorrelated between conjugate latitudes at 16°, 22° and 30° from the equator, latitudes too low to be significantly influenced by seasonal solar forcing. A strong temperature periodicity of 8-9 years is limited to within 10° of the equator. Another periodicity of 7 years covers a wide range of latitudes. A weaker but significant 4-year period covers latitudes from 10°S to 30°N. The 4- and 8-9-year periods at 330 mbars appear to be correlated with those 60-70 km higher in the stratosphere near ~10 mbar, with a ~2-year delay from the stratospheric to the tropospheric level, suggesting a top-down control of tropospheric temperatures by radiative processes in Jupiter’s stratosphere. Correlations between temperature variability and changes in visible appearance of clouds were also detected in Jupiter’s South Equatorial Belt (6°S-17°S) and North Equatorial Belt (6-15°N). No variability was detected at periods longer than 14 years.

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“…The detection of stratospheric auroral jets in this work demonstrates that the Jovian atmospheric circulation is complex not only in the equatorial region owing to the QQO (Cosentino et al 2017;Giles et al 2020;Antuñano et al 2020), but also in its polar regions. Repeated observations with the northern aurora in the field-of-view are necessary for a better characterization of the counterrotation stratospheric jet underneath the main oval, similar to the situation witnessed in the south.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…In addition, systematic infrared observations of long timescales led to the discovery of stratospheric quasi-periodic oscillations manifested in the stratospheric temperatures and winds, in particular the quasi-quadrennial oscillation (QQO) in Jupiter (Orton et al 1991) as well as the Saturn equatorial oscillation (SEO; Orton et al 2008). These oscillations have been the subject of numerous follow-up observations and modeling efforts to obtain robust constraints on their origin and evolution (Cosentino et al 2017;Li & Read 2000;Medvedev et al 2013;Spiga et al 2020;Bardet et al 2021;Giles et al 2020;Antuñano et al 2020). However, deriving the wind field from the thermal wind balance is only an approximation, which in addition breaks down at the equator.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First direct measurement of auroral and equatorial jets in the stratosphere of Jupiter

Cavalié

Benmahi

Hue

et al. 2021

A&A

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Context. The tropospheric wind pattern in Jupiter consists of alternating prograde and retrograde zonal jets with typical velocities of up to 100 m s−1 around the equator. At much higher altitudes, in the ionosphere, strong auroral jets have been discovered with velocities of 1−2 km s−1. There is no such direct measurement in the stratosphere of the planet. Aims. In this Letter, we bridge the altitude gap between these measurements by directly measuring the wind speeds in Jupiter’s stratosphere. Methods. We use the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array’s very high spectral and angular resolution imaging of the stratosphere of Jupiter to retrieve the wind speeds as a function of latitude by fitting the Doppler shifts induced by the winds on the spectral lines. Results. We detect, for the first time, equatorial zonal jets that reside at 1 mbar, that is, above the altitudes where Jupiter’s quasi-quadrennial oscillation occurs. Most noticeably, we find 300−400 m s−1 nonzonal winds at 0.1 mbar over the polar regions underneath the main auroral ovals. They are in counterrotation and lie several hundred kilometers below the ionospheric auroral winds. We suspect them to be the lower tail of the ionospheric auroral winds. Conclusions. We directly detect, for the first time, strong winds in Jupiter’s stratosphere. They are zonal at low-to-mid latitudes and nonzonal at polar latitudes. The wind system found at polar latitudes may help increase the efficiency of chemical complexification by confining the photochemical products in a region of large energetic electron precipitation.

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Fluctuations in Jupiter’s equatorial stratospheric oscillation

Cited by 27 publications

References 39 publications

Mapping the zonal winds of Jupiter’s stratospheric equatorial oscillation

Mapping the zonal winds of Jupiter’s stratospheric equatorial oscillation

Long-Term Behavior of Tropospheric Temperatures in Jupiter: Evidence for Quasi-Seasonal and Non-Seasonal Variability

First direct measurement of auroral and equatorial jets in the stratosphere of Jupiter

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