The observed zonal winds at Jupiter’s cloud tops have been shown to be closely linked to the asymmetric part of the planet’s measured gravity field. However, other measurements suggest that in some latitudinal regions the flow below the clouds might be somewhat different from the observed cloud-level winds. Here we show, using both the symmetric and asymmetric parts of the measured gravity field, that the observed cloud-level wind profile between 25oS and 25oN must extend unaltered to depths of thousands of kilometers. Poleward, the midlatitude deep jets also contribute to the gravity signal, but might differ somewhat from the cloud-level winds. We analyze the likelihood of this difference and give bounds to its strength. We also find that to match the gravity measurements, the winds must project inward in the direction parallel to Jupiter’s spin axis, and that their decay inward should be in the radial direction.

We present multi-wavelength measurements of the thermal, chemical, and cloud contrasts associated with the visibly dark formations (also known as 5-µm hot spots) and intervening bright plumes on the boundary between Jupiter’s Equatorial Zone (EZ) and North Equatorial Belt (NEB). Observations made by the TEXES 5-20 µm spectrometer at the Gemini North Telescope in March 2017 reveal the upper-tropospheric properties of 12 hot spots, which are directly compared to measurements by Juno using the Microwave Radiometer (MWR), JIRAM at 5 µm, and JunoCam visible images. MWR and thermal-infrared spectroscopic results are consistent near 0.7 bar. Mid-infrared-derived aerosol opacity is consistent with that inferred from visible-albedo and 5-µm opacity maps. Aerosol contrasts, the defining characteristics of the cloudy plumes and aerosol-depleted hot spots, are not a good proxy for microwave brightness. The hot spots are neither uniformly warmer nor ammonia-depleted compared to their surroundings at p<1 bar. At 0.7 bar, the microwave brightness at the edges of hot spots is comparable to other features within the NEB, whereas they are brighter at 1.5 bar, signifying either warm temperatures and/or depleted NH3 at depth. Temperatures and ammonia are spatially variable within the hot spots, so the precise location of the observations matters to their interpretation. Reflective plumes sometimes have enhanced NH3, cold temperatures, and elevated aerosol opacity, but each plume appears different. Neither plumes nor hot spots had microwave signatures in channels sensing p>10 bars, suggesting that the hot-spot/plume wave is a relatively shallow feature.

Observations of Jupiter’s deep atmosphere by the Juno spacecraft have revealed several puzzling facts: The concentration of ammonia is variable down to pressures of tens of bars, and is strongly dependent on latitude. While most latitudes exhibit a low abundance, the Equatorial Zone of Jupiter has an abundance of ammonia that is high and nearly uniform with depth. In parallel, the Equatorial Zone is peculiar for its absence of lightning, which is otherwise prevalent most everywhere else on the planet. We show that a model accounting for the presence of small-scale convection and water storms originating in Jupiter’s deep atmosphere accounts for the observations. Where strong thunderstorms are observed on the planet, we estimate that the formation of ammonia-rich hail (’mushballs’) and subsequent downdrafts can deplete efficiency the upper atmosphere of its ammonia and transport it efficiently to the deeper levels. In the Equatorial Zone, the absence of thunderstorms shows that this process is not occurring, implying that small-scale convection can maintain a near-homogeneity of this region. A simple model satisfying mass and energy balance accounts for the main features of Juno’s MWR observations and successfully reproduces the inverse correlation seen between ammonia abundance and the lightning rate as function of latitude. We predict that in regions where ammonia is depleted, water should also be depleted to great depths. This new vision of the mechanisms at play, which are both deep and latitude-dependent, has consequences for our understanding of Jupiter’s deep interior and of giant-planet atmospheres in general.