A depletion of ammonia and water by storms in the deep atmosphere of Jupiter

Microwave observations by the Juno spacecraft have shown that, contrary to expectations, the concentration of ammonia is still variable down to pressures of tens of bars in Jupiter. While mid-latitudes show a strong depletion, the equatorial zone of Jupiter has an abundance of ammonia that is high and nearly uniform with depth. In parallel, Juno determined that the Equatorial Zone is peculiar for its absence of lightning, which is otherwise prevalent most everywhere else on the planet. We show that a model accounting for the presence of small-scale convection and water storms originating in Jupiter’s deep atmosphere accounts for the observations. At mid-latitudes, where thunderstorms powered by water condensation are present, ice particles may be lofted high in the atmosphere, in particular into a region located at pressures between 1.1 and 1.5 bar and temperatures between 173K and 188K, where ammonia vapor can dissolve into water ice to form a low-temperature liquid phase containing about 1/3 ammonia and 2/3 water. We estimate that, following the process creating hailstorms on Earth, this liquid phase enhances the growth of hail-like particles that we call ‘mushballs’. Their growth and fall over many scale heights can effectively deplete ammonia, and consequently, water to great depths in Jupiter’s atmosphere. In the Equatorial Zone, the absence of thunderstorms shows that this process is not occurring, implying that small-scale convection can maintain a near homogeneity of this region. We predict that water, which sinks along with ammonia, should also be depleted down to pressures of tens of bars. Except during storms, Jupiter's deep atmosphere should be stabilized by the mean molecular weight gradient created by the increase in abundance of ammonia and water with depth.  This new vision of the mechanisms at play, which are both deep and latitude-dependent, has consequences for our understanding of Jupiter’s deep interior and of giant-planet atmospheres in general.