Sunlight appeared to have been responsible for most of the light observed in Jupiter’s atmosphere. But, the team thinks there is another reason behind the presence of the odd structures.
“One way in which you can change this structure is by gravity waves—similar to waves crashing on a beach, creating ripples in the sand,” explained Melin.
“These waves are generated deep in the turbulent lower atmosphere, all around the Great Red Spot, and they can travel up in altitude, changing the structure and emissions of the upper atmosphere.”
Gravity waves move through an atmosphere and are even seen on Earth occasionally. But the ones on Earth are much less powerful than on Jupiter.
The team plans to investigate the Great Red Spot features and their wave patterns further with the JWST.
Future findings could help reveal more about the movement of the structures and how energy is distributed across Jupiter in general.
