Storms on Earth can be powerful, but new research suggests they are no match for the extreme forces at work on Jupiter, where lightning may reach staggering levels of intensity.
A study published on March 20 in AGU Advances finds that lightning on Jupiter can be more than 100 times stronger than typical Earth bolts and, in some cases, could be up to one million times more powerful. The findings offer new insight into the violent weather systems of the solar system’s largest planet.
Scientists had base knowledge about Jupiter's lightning before 2016, which depended on their night-time observations that showed only the strongest lightning strikes, which scientists considered similar to Earth's extremely rare superbolts. But NASA's Juno spacecraft, which has been in orbit around Jupiter since 2016, brought about this transformation.
Juno represents a new development in space exploration because it enables scientists to study lightning radio signals, which scientists use to determine energy levels of lightning storms that occur even when clouds are obstructing sunlight. The method produced results which showed all components of the electrical activity that exists on the planet.
Scientists conducted their research on the individual stealth superstorms which occurred during the quiet periods of 2021 and 2022 to monitor their associated lightning activities. They documented a total of 300 lightning pulses which produced an average of three lightning strikes every second.
The study found that the lightning flashes ranged in strength. While some of the flashes were comparable to those on Earth, others were 100 times stronger. However, due to differences in measurement techniques and the use of different wavelengths, there is also some uncertainty in the data, and the strongest flashes could be up to a million times stronger than Earth’s lightning.
The difference between Earth and Jupiter lies in the atmosphere of the two planets. While Earth has a predominantly nitrogen atmosphere, Jupiter has a predominantly hydrogen atmosphere.
Since moist air is heavier on Jupiter, the energy required to develop the storm is much higher. When the storm does develop, the energy is released in the form of stronger lightning. The storms on Jupiter are also up to 100 kilometres tall, far higher than the ones on Earth.
Scientists believe the underlying process that creates lightning, involving charged water droplets and ice particles, is similar on both planets. However, the sheer scale and energy on Jupiter make its storms fundamentally different.