<p>Standard answers, as found  <a href="https://earthsky.org/space/jupiters-great-red-spot-shrinking-anticyclone" rel="noreferrer">here</a>, (partial quote)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Unlike Jupiter, the Earth has land masses that cause major storms to
lose energy due to friction with a solid surface. Without this
feature, Jupiter’s storms are more long-lasting. However, the Great
Red Spot is long-lived, even by Jupiter standards. Researchers don’t
quite understand why, but we do know that Jupiter’s storms that are
located in cloud bands with the same direction of rotation tend to be
longer lasting.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, we know some of the probable reasons, and don't know the full story yet.  Keep in mind that the current RedSpot might be a 3-sigma event, even for Jupiter.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-09T13:08:39.120Z
2020-10-09T13:08:39.120Z
Carl Witthoft
<p>On Earth, storms can last a few days. The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a storm that has been going on for more than 400 years now. What is different on Jupiter that makes it possible for storms to last so long?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-09T13:06:39.173Z
Size,  relative "smoothness" of surface compared with radius,
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-09T15:10:16.013Z
It is not sure that the spot first seen in the 17th century is the same as today, as there is a large gap in observations. It is at least 150 years old though, which is already quite long for a storm, at least from our point of view. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/jupiter-s-great-red-spot-a-swirling-mystery
Jean-Marie Prival
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-09T22:01:00.497Z
[Laboratory simulation of Jupiter's great red spot by rotating shallow water](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0275106202000607)
Robert Harvey
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-09T22:04:20.637Z
[Laboratory simulation of Jupiter's Great Red Spot](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/32020750_Laboratory_simulation_of_Jupiter's_Great_Red_Spot)
Robert Harvey
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-10-09T22:11:06.963Z
And [here](https://www.slashgear.com/jupiters-spot-is-fading-neptunes-too-20520134/): “Think of the GRS [Great Red Spot] as a spinning wheel that keeps on spinning because it’s caught between two conveyor belts that are moving in opposite directions. The GRS is stable and long-lived, because it’s ‘wedged’ between two jet streams that are moving in opposite directions."
Robert Harvey
<jupiter><great-red-spot>
What is behind the Great Red Spot's longevity?
usernumber
# What is behind the Great Red Spot's longevity?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-10-09)

On Earth, storms can last a few days. The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is a storm that has been going on for more than 400 years now. What is different on Jupiter that makes it possible for storms to last so long?

**Tags:** jupiter, great-red-spot

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Size,  relative "smoothness" of surface compared with radius,  
> **username_2**: It is not sure that the spot first seen in the 17th century is the same as today, as there is a large gap in observations. It is at least 150 years old though, which is already quite long for a storm, at least from our point of view. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/jupiter-s-great-red-spot-a-swirling-mystery  
> **username_3**: [Laboratory simulation of Jupiter's great red spot by rotating shallow water](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0275106202000607)  
> **username_3**: [Laboratory simulation of Jupiter's Great Red Spot](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/32020750_Laboratory_simulation_of_Jupiter's_Great_Red_Spot)  
> **username_3**: And [here](https://www.slashgear.com/jupiters-spot-is-fading-neptunes-too-20520134/): “Think of the GRS [Great Red Spot] as a spinning wheel that keeps on spinning because it’s caught between two conveyor belts that are moving in opposite directions. The GRS is stable and long-lived, because it’s ‘wedged’ between two jet streams that are moving in opposite directions."  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-10-09. Score: 19 | Accepted answer

Standard answers, as found [here](https://earthsky.org/space/jupiters-great-red-spot-shrinking-anticyclone), (partial quote)

> Unlike Jupiter, the Earth has land masses that cause major storms to
> lose energy due to friction with a solid surface. Without this
> feature, Jupiter’s storms are more long-lasting. However, the Great
> Red Spot is long-lived, even by Jupiter standards. Researchers don’t
> quite understand why, but we do know that Jupiter’s storms that are
> located in cloud bands with the same direction of rotation tend to be
> longer lasting.

So, we know some of the probable reasons, and don't know the full story yet. Keep in mind that the current RedSpot might be a 3-sigma event, even for Jupiter.


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