Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-29-2025
Department
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Abstract
Sprawling, turbulent cloud formations dominate the meteorology of Jupiter's mid‐to‐high latitudes, known as Folded Filamentary Regions (FFRs). A multi‐wavelength characterization by Juno reveals the spatial distribution, vertical structure, and energetics of the FFRs. The cloud tops display multiple lobes of stratiform aerosols, separated by darker, cloud‐free lanes, and embedded with smaller eddies and high‐altitude cumulus clouds. These cyclonic FFRs are microwave‐bright in shallow‐sounding wavelengths (p < 5 bars) and microwave‐dark in deep‐sounding wavelengths (p > 10 bars), with the transition potentially associated with the water condensation layer (6–7 bars). Associating microwave contrasts with temperature anomalies, this implies despinning of cyclonic eddies above/below their mid‐planes. Despite deep roots (being detectable in wave lengths sounding ∼ 100 bars), they are “pancake vortices” with horizontal extents at least an order of magnitude larger than their depth. In the northern hemisphere, FFRs are most common in cyclonic belts poleward of 40°N (all latitudes are planetocentric), particularly a North Polar Filamentary Belt (NPFB) near 66.
Publication Title
JGR Planets
Recommended Citation
Fletcher, L. N.,
Zhang, Z.,
Brown, S.,
Oyafuso, F. A.,
Rogers, J. H.,
Wong, M. H.,
Brueshaber, S.,
&
et. al
(2025).
Structure of Jupiter's High-Latitude Storms: Folded Filamentary Regions Revealed by Juno.
JGR Planets,
131(1).
http://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009315
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p2/2471
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Version
Publisher's PDF
Publisher's Statement
© 2025. The Author(s). Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009315