Storms

By Hannah Mohr, Sophomore INSPIRE

We've been seeing a lot of storms on Earth recently, with the terrible disaster in Japan and the record-breaking tornadoes in Alabama. Yet, like always, my gaze is turned skyward; specifically toward Jupiter, the home of a truly magnificent storm. The storm, known as the Great Red Spot, is about twice as big as the Earth and similar to a really big hurricane; Katrina doesn't even come close. Winds can speed up to 270 mph, and it is about 17,000 miles (28,000 km) long and 9,000 miles (14,000 km) wide. In its entirety, the storm is approximately one sixth of diameter of Jupiter.

This storm isn't just big, it's long-lasting; Jupiter's Great Red Spot has been around about four-hundred years. How does this storm last so long in comparison to Earth hurricanes? The answer lies, at least in part, in that the Great Red Spot never really goes over “land.” Land is death to a hurricane, because moisture and heat energy is taken away. Water provides moisture and heat energy, while land does not; therefore, when a hurricane passes over land, it dies. Jupiter's internal heat provides the energy the storm needs to survive, so it does not rely on huge bodies of water. Jupiter's Great Red Spot is as fascinating as it is massive.