Saturn’s Massive Cyclones Finally Decoded

Scientists have finally explained the beautiful, yet voracious cyclones that spin atop Saturn's northern pole. These Earth-sized storms, with winds topping 300 mph, are actually the accumulation of many smaller storms, which converge to form some of the most massive cyclones in our solar system.

Photographs of the cyclones were first captured by the Cassini spacecraft, which began orbiting Saturn over ten years ago. The storms have been an ongoing mystery among planetary scientists. That is, until now, for the origins of these monster storms was recently revealed in the journal Nature Geoscience.

A team of researchers headed by Morgan O'Neill, a scientist at MIT, set out to discover just how these giant cyclones formed. Using computer models, they reconstructed the unique atmosphere of Saturn, since it differs wildly from that of Earth. Storms on our planet are set against a fixed surface and driven by the abundance of warm water available to fuel such storms. Not so on Saturn, which is one of four gaseous planets within our solar system (along with Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune).

Saturn's dry, gaseous, and more turbulent atmosphere means storms there follow different patterns of development. And with these atmospheric idiosyncrasies in mind, the scientists set out to recreate the conditions that produce Saturn's super cyclones.

Their models showed that the cyclones are the result of the buildup of smaller storms that produce contrasting wind patterns, with upper winds spinning in opposite direction of those below. Through a process called beta drift, the rotation of the planet draws the storms toward the poles, while a second process, known as beta gyre, attempts to pull the conflicting winds apart. The result is a confluence of smaller storms at the top of the planet, forming one massive, long-lived cyclone.

Understanding the storms on Saturn may help elucidate weather patterns on other gaseous planets, in our solar system and beyond. Although Jupiter's massive size makes similar storms improbable, planets like Neptune may mimic Saturn's cyclonic systems.

We'll have to wait and see.