Jupiter's Clouds: Structure and Composition

Abstract

Recent infrared radiometric observations of Jupiter have disclosed local temperatures in the North Equatorial Belt far in excess of those at the level of the solid ammonia clouds, and visual observations reveal an orange-brown coloration within this belt. We suggest that, in a multilayer cloud model, solar ultraviolet photolysis of hydrogen sulfide in regions where ammonia clouds are sparse or absent should lead to the production of substantial quantities of inorganic chromophores.