Final answer:
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter lasts for centuries because there is no solid surface on Jupiter to slow it down, and the storm's enormous size lends it stability. The storm's character as a high-pressure system also differentiates it from Earth's typically low-pressure storms.
Step-by-step explanation:
A likely reason why a large storm like the Great Red Spot on Jupiter can last so long is that Jupiter has no solid surface to slow down an atmospheric disturbance. Unlike Earth, where hurricanes and typhoons dissipate after encountering land, Jupiter's storms endure for centuries due to the absence of friction with the land. Additionally, the sheer size of the disturbances on Jupiter contributes to their stability, allowing for enormous storms such as the Great Red Spot and the smaller white ovals to persist for substantially longer periods than those on Earth. Moreover, the Great Red Spot is a high-pressure area with a counterclockwise rotation, unlike storms on Earth that are typically low-pressure regions. As there is no solid surface to sap the energy of the storm on Jupiter, its atmospheric phenomena can have incredibly long lifetimes.