Elsevier

Icarus

Volume 29, Issue 2, October 1976, Pages 225-229
Icarus

Velocity variations of an equatorial plume throughout a Jovian year

https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(76)90049-XGet rights and content

Abstract

Analysis of features in the Equatorial Zone of Jupiter has shown that the equatorial plume reported by Pioneer 10 has existed for an 11-yr interval. During this interval the plume has shown an acceleration which can be interpreted as a constant component of 3 × 10−8 m/sec2 and a sinusoidal component which anticorrelates with the planetocentric declination of the Sun, DS, and has an amplitude of −0.96 m/sec per degree change of DS. The sinusoidal component has been interpreted in terms of solar heating. Throughout this interval of time the Equatorial Zone has appeared abnormally dark and has contained many dark projections along the northern edge. When the plume approaches to within 25 to 30° of these features they are deflected in the direction of motion of the plume and then dissipate or become obscured as the plume passes. After passage of the plume normal features are again observed.

References (7)

  • S.C. Chase et al.

    Pioneer 10 infrared radiometer experiment: Preliminary results

    Science

    (1974)
  • J.W. Fountain et al.

    Jupiter's clouds: Equatorial plumes and other cloud forms in the Pioneer 10 images

    Science

    (1974)
  • T. Gehrels

    The convectively unstable atmosphere of Jupiter

    J. Geophys. Res.

    (1974)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (11)

  • Meteorology of Jupiter's equatorial hot spots and plumes from Cassini

    2013, Icarus
    Citation Excerpt :

    A more recent study by Arregi et al. (2006) that examined hot spots in visible observations stated that hot spots exhibited a dispersion relationship between drift speed and wave number, which was dominant between 8 and 12. Equatorial plumes are immense white cloud streaks located in between hot spots and embedded within the Equatorial Zone (Reese and Beebe, 1976). Stoker (1986) proposed that the plumes were thunderstorm anvil-like structures generated from moist convection within a storm center.

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text