• DOI:10.1029/2020JE006504
• Corpus ID: 231728590

Lightning Generation in Moist Convective Clouds and Constraints on the Water Abundance in Jupiter

@article{Aglyamov2021LightningGI,
  title={Lightning Generation in Moist Convective Clouds and Constraints on the Water Abundance in Jupiter},
  author={Yury S. Aglyamov and Jonathan I. Lunine and Heidi N. Becker and Tristan Guillot and Seran G. Gibbard and Sushil K. Atreya and Scott J. Bolton and Steven M. Levin and Shannon T. Brown and Michael H. Wong},
  journal={Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets},
  year={2021},
  volume={126}
}

• Y. Aglyamov, J. Lunine, +7 authors M. Wong
• Published 17 January 2021
• Physics, Environmental Science, Geology
• Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets

Recent Juno observations have greatly extended the temporal and spatial coverage of lightning detection on Jupiter. We use these data to constrain a model of moist convection and lightning generation in Jupiter's atmosphere, and derive a roughly solar abundance of water at the base of the water cloud. Shallow lightning, observed by Juno (Becker et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586‐020‐2532‐1, Nature, 584, 55–58) and defined as flashes originating at altitudes corresponding to pressure less than 2 bars, is reproduced, as is lightning at a deeper range of pressures, including those below the water cloud base. It is found that the generation of lightning requires ammonia to stabilize liquid water at altitudes corresponding to sub‐freezing temperatures. We find a range of local water abundances in which lightning is possible, including subsolar values of water—consistent with other determinations of deep oxygen abundance.