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Scientists Confirm 'Mushball' Hailstorms on Jupiter, Redefining Gas Giant Weather

Recent findings reveal ammonia-water hailstones formed during deep-penetrating storms, reshaping our understanding of Jupiter's atmosphere and implications for other planets.

Overview

  • UC Berkeley researchers have confirmed the existence of 'mushballs,' ammonia-water slush hailstones, during Jupiter's intense lightning storms.
  • These mushballs form when ammonia acts as an antifreeze, enabling water ice to mix and grow into dense hailstones that fall deep into the atmosphere.
  • The phenomenon explains the depletion of ammonia in Jupiter's upper atmosphere, with levels reduced down to depths of 150 kilometers.
  • Advanced 3D imaging shows most of Jupiter's weather systems are shallow, but powerful storms penetrate deeper, unmixing atmospheric gases and redistributing ammonia and water.
  • This discovery suggests similar atmospheric processes could occur on other gas giants and exoplanets, impacting how scientists interpret planetary atmospheres.