Jupiter's Mushball Hailstorms and Deep Storms Unmix Atmosphere

Planetary scientists have confirmed the existence of mushball hailstorms accompanied by lightning on Jupiter. These intense storms may also occur on other gas giants such as Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. This discovery stemmed from the first 3D visualization of Jupiter's upper atmosphere.

The 3D model reveals that while most weather systems are shallow, some powerful storms redistribute ammonia and water. These storms effectively unmix the atmosphere, causing cloud tops to misrepresent the composition at deeper levels. Strong updrafts lift ice particles, which then mix with ammonia vapor to create large mushballs.

These mushballs fall deep into Jupiter's atmosphere, carrying ammonia downwards and explaining its depletion in the upper atmosphere. Unique data from the Juno mission supports this process, revealing evidence of melting ice or increased ammonia concentrations beneath storm clouds. The study emphasizes the crucial role of these powerful storms in shaping the atmospheric composition of Jupiter.