Jupiter's red spot - storm or eddy?

[paigetheoracle]

I personally do not buy the theory that the red spot on Jupiter is a storm. Looking at what happens on Earth, is there any storm that stays in the same spot and for two hundred years? Looking at rivers though, what eddy moves? I think the gaseous planet is acting like a liquid. I think that probably below the surface is a hollow from the impact of something and the spinning bands on the planets surface (What causes that by the way, the alternating direction and banding of the gases?), turn the liquid/gas round like a spinning top. The red is obviously a leak from within the planet, composed of different material from the surface gases. What causes spinning after all but forces moving in opposite directions and catching something between them or draining of liquids (Galaxies have no funnels beneath them, so look to be caught between opposing forces as black holes should as they are draining material out of the visible universe, according to the theory).

 

Anyway that should give you enough to think about and get back to me with ideas of your own. I'm no astronomer but just very logical as those that know me will attest - hence me throwing this spanner into the works of a belief that I think is incorrect, when comparing it to what happens on this planet and extrapolating from that.

[Eclogite]

Looking at what happens on Earth, is there any storm that stays in the same spot and for two hundred years?

This is a very weak argument. The Earth is a small planet with a thin, warm atmosphere. The magnetic field strength, rotational speed, atmospheric composition, gravity, solar insolation and a host of other variables are wholly different. We should not expect a direct commonality of behaviour between the two. On Venus, a planet the same size as the Earth, winds blow continuously at 300 km/hour. Do you deny that this can be so, because it does not happen on the Earth?

 

 

Looking at rivers though, what eddy moves?

I do not see how you think this is relevant. Eddies are known to move in all sorts of scenarios. In aeronautics I think we have a phenomenon called 'shedding vortices'. Those are moving eddies. The eddies that are hurricanes and temperate depressions certainly move. And I have spent many a relaxing hour watching eddies move in a river.

 

 

I think the gaseous planet is acting like a liquid.

I'm not an expert in this area, but I think it is called fluid dynamics for a reason. Gases and liquids behave in very similar ways when we examine their flow characteristics. In short, your statement here is trivial.

 

 

I think that probably below the surface is a hollow from the impact of something

It has been understood from the late 19th century that the spot could not be the result of a surface feature. For example, in 1880 an unusually bright, white equatorial spot appeared; it rotated around Jupiter over 5 minutes faster than the GRS. This gave a differential velocity of about 400km/h. But the rotation rates of both the white spot and the GRS were not constant, indicating that neither could be surface features as some astronomers had supposed. (Source: Academic Press Encyclopedia of the Solar System, page 63.)

 

What causes that by the way, the alternating direction and banding of the gases?

Despite observations by Voyager, Galileo, Cassini and Hubble, as well as many finite element analysis simulations, the diversity of zonal characteristics between the four giant planets leaves more questions unanswered than answered. The banding is well understood and relates to how deeply we are seeing into the atmosphere and which molecular species predominate there.

 

The red is obviously a leak from within the planet, composed of different material from the surface gases.

This is partly true, but your phraseology is misleading. It is thought that the GRS is an area of upwelling gas, since it contains high altitude aerosols. The exact composition of these aerosols is not generally agreed as yet, as far as I am aware.

 

hence me throwing this spanner into the works of a belief that I think is incorrect, when comparing it to what happens on this planet and extrapolating from that.

Excuse me, but even if we pooled our knowledge on this and multiplied it by five we would still lack sufficient understanding to be able to justify a different belief, as you wish to do.

[Cold-co]

I don't think the Red Spot is either a storm or eddy. I think it is an ongoing volcanic eruption from a volcano like Olympus Mons.

[Tormod]

I think it is an ongoing volcanic eruption from a volcano like Olympus Mons.

 

What do you base that assumption on? AFAIK Jupiter has no solid surface.

 

http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/jupiter/interior.html