Temperature of Jupiter
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Jupiter Atmospheric Temperature Structure
Tropospheric Temperatures of Jupiter
Jupiter’s troposphere, the lowest layer of its atmosphere, has temperatures that vary with depth and location. At the 1 bar pressure level, which is often used as a reference, temperatures are generally around 166–170 K. Recent reanalysis of Voyager radio occultation data found temperatures of 170.3 ± 3.8 K at 12°S and 167.3 ± 3.8 K at 0°N, which are slightly higher than the 166.1 ± 0.8 K measured by the Galileo probe at 6.6°N. These findings show that Jupiter’s tropospheric temperatures can vary by up to 7 K between different latitudes near the equator and southern hemisphere . Earlier studies using Pioneer 10 data reported temperatures at 1 bar of 170 K in the South Equatorial Belt and 155 K in the South Tropical Zone, with effective temperatures of 127.6 K and 124.2 K for these regions, respectively .
Upper Atmosphere and Thermospheric Temperatures
Jupiter’s upper atmosphere, or thermosphere, is much hotter than the troposphere. High-resolution temperature maps using H3+ emissions show that the median equatorial temperature in the upper atmosphere is about 762 ± 43 K. In the auroral regions near the poles, temperatures are even higher, reaching 1200 ± 96 K in the north and 1143 ± 120 K in the south. These temperatures decrease smoothly from the auroral zones toward the equator, indicating that auroral energy is redistributed dynamically across the planet . Models suggest that interactions between Jupiter’s magnetosphere and atmosphere play a key role in heating the upper atmosphere, but even advanced models still underestimate the observed equatorial temperatures by several hundred kelvins .
Stratospheric and Auroral Region Variability
Jupiter’s stratospheric temperatures, especially in the auroral regions, can change independently in the north and south. For example, from 2014 to 2016, the southern auroral region experienced a net temperature increase of about 11 K at 1 mbar, possibly linked to increased charged particle precipitation and solar activity. The northern auroral region, in contrast, showed little change during the same period . These findings highlight the influence of both internal and external factors on Jupiter’s atmospheric temperature structure.
Long-Term and Latitudinal Temperature Variability
Long-term studies over four decades have revealed that Jupiter’s upper-tropospheric temperatures show periodic variations with cycles of 4, 7, 8–9, and 10–14 years, depending on latitude. These patterns are not directly tied to Jupiter’s seasonal solar heating, and some are strongly anticorrelated between northern and southern hemispheres. There is also evidence that temperature changes in the stratosphere can influence the troposphere below, suggesting a top-down control mechanism 710. These temperature variations are also linked to changes in the visible appearance of Jupiter’s cloud belts .
Conclusion
Jupiter’s atmospheric temperatures vary significantly with altitude, latitude, and over time. The troposphere is cold, with temperatures near 170 K at 1 bar, while the upper atmosphere can reach over 1200 K in auroral regions. Temperature patterns are influenced by both internal dynamics and external factors like solar and magnetospheric activity, and they show complex, long-term variability across the planet. Understanding these temperature structures is crucial for modeling Jupiter’s atmosphere and interpreting observations of gas giants both in our solar system and beyond.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Spatiotemporal Variations of Temperature in Jupiter’s Upper Atmosphere
High-resolution H 3+ temperature maps show consistent pole-to-pole temperature structure in Jupiter's upper atmosphere, with temperatures decreasing smoothly from auroral to equatorial latitudes.
Jupiter's Temperature Structure: A Reassessment of the Voyager Radio Occultation Measurements
Jupiter's tropospheric temperatures may vary by up to 7 K between 7°N and 12°S, with the corrected temperature at 1 bar being up to 4 K greater than previously published values.
Independent evolution of stratospheric temperatures in Jupiter's northern and southern auroral regions from 2014 to 2016
Jupiter's southern auroral region experienced a net increase in temperature from 2014 to 2016, potentially due to higher-energy charged particle precipitation.
Long-Term Behavior of Tropospheric Temperatures in Jupiter: Evidence for Quasi-Seasonal and Non-Seasonal Variability
Jupiter's upper-tropospheric temperatures show unexpected variations with 10--14 year periods, suggesting a top-down control by radiative processes in the stratosphere.
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