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Scientists Confirm Mushball Hailstorms on Jupiter as Key to Atmospheric Mysteries

UC Berkeley researchers use advanced 3D imaging and observations to reveal ammonia-rich hailstones form in intense storms, reshaping understanding of Jupiter's atmosphere.

A cross section of the upper atmosphere, or troposphere, of Jupiter, showing the depth of storms in a north-south swath that crosses the planet's equator, or equatorial zone (EZ). Blue and red represent, respectively, higher and lower than normal abundances of ammonia gas. By tracking the ammonia, two new UC Berkeley studies show that the rapidly changing weather systems on Jupiter are mostly very shallow (left), though two types of storms — rapidly rising plumes of ammonia (center) and tornado-like vortices — punch more deeply and are responsible for unmixing atmospheric gases. Large scale storms produce mushballs that rain downward even deeper than the plumes and vortices.
Storms on Jupiter and mushball formation

Overview

  • Planetary scientists have confirmed the existence of mushball hailstorms on Jupiter, composed of ammonia and water encased in ice, formed during intense thunderstorms.
  • The phenomenon explains the depletion of ammonia in Jupiter's upper atmosphere, as mushballs transport ammonia deep into the planet's layers.
  • Advanced 3D visualizations and coordinated radio and visible observations reveal that most weather on Jupiter is shallow, but powerful storms penetrate deep into the atmosphere.
  • The study highlights that Jupiter's cloud-top chemistry is not representative of its deeper atmospheric composition, challenging prior models of uniformity.
  • Findings suggest mushball hailstorms could occur on other gas giants like Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, with implications for understanding exoplanet atmospheres.