Simulations of high-latitude spots on Jupiter: Constraints on vortex strength and the deep wind

We combine high-resolution observations of the dynamical behavior of small vortices (diameters ⩽5000 km) located at latitude 60°N on Jupiter with forward modeling, using the EPIC atmospheric model, to address two open questions: the dependence of the zonal winds with depth, and the strength of vortices that are too small to apply cloud tracking to their internal structure. The observed drift rates of the vortices can only be reproduced in the model when the zonal winds increase slightly with depth below the cloud tops, with a vertical shear that is less than was measured at 7°N at the southern rim of a 5-μm hotspot by the Galileo Probe Doppler Wind Experiment (DWE). This supports the idea that Jupiter's vertical shear may vary significantly with latitude. Our simulations suggest that the morphology of the mergers between vortices mainly depends on their maximum tangential velocities, the best results occurring when the tangential velocity is close to the velocity difference of the alternating jets constraining the zone in which the vortices are embedded. We use this correlation, together with the high-resolution data available for the White Ovals, to derive an empirical relationship between the maximum tangential velocity of a jovian vortex and its size, normalized by the strength and size of the encompassing shear zone. The Great Red Spot stands out as a significant anomaly to this relationship, but interestingly it is becoming less so with time.