Great Red Spot 2026-10-25
The Great Red Spot is a large atmospheric vortex in Jupiter's southern hemisphere. Its counterclockwise circulation corresponds to a high-pressure system in the rotating-fluid interpretation.[ref]
The Great Red Spot: An Ancient Storm in Jupiter's Atmosphere by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA description: counterclockwise circulation in the southern hemisphere indicates high pressure
In a frame rotating with angular velocity , a particle of relative velocity experiences the Coriolis forceFor nearly horizontal atmospheric motion, the relevant vertical rotation component is , with latitude . In the northern hemisphere the horizontal deflection is to the right of the motion. A low-pressure center produces an inward pressure-gradient force; an anticlockwise circulation has an outward Coriolis force to oppose it. A high-pressure center instead supports clockwise circulation, with inward Coriolis force opposing the outward pressure-gradient force.
The sense reverses in the southern hemisphere. There, anticlockwise circulation is anticyclonic and corresponds to high atmospheric pressure. HenceThis is the large-scale rotating-fluid interpretation; friction, centrifugal acceleration and departures from ideal balance modify actual wind profiles. NASA's description independently identifies the southern, counterclockwise Great Red Spot as a high-pressure system.[ref]
The Great Red Spot: An Ancient Storm in Jupiter's Atmosphere by National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Description comparing the southern-hemisphere counterclockwise Great Red Spot with low-pressure terrestrial hurricanes