Final answer:
The vivid bands in Jupiter's upper atmosphere are caused by gas dynamics linked to convection currents and the planet's rapid rotation. Light and dark bands, representing rising and falling air, are capped or exposed by white ammonia and potentially ammonium hydrosulfide clouds, respectively. Jupiter's cloud colors arise from photochemical reactions creating a variety of complex compounds.
Step-by-step explanation:
The vivid bands seen in Jupiter's upper atmosphere are caused by the rising and falling gas that is stretched into bands due to the planet's rapid rotation. These bands are semi-permanent features that encircle the planet parallel to the equator. The light zones are regions where warm air rises, and are topped with white ammonia cirrus clouds, indicating the tops of convection currents. Conversely, the darker belts are areas of downward-moving cooler air. With fewer ammonia clouds in these belts, we can peer deeper into the atmosphere, potentially observing clouds of ammonium hydrosulfide (NH4SH).
Jupiter's vibrant cloud colors, which contrast with the anticipated colourlessness due to the prevalent hydrogen, are possibly a result of photochemical reactions in the upper atmosphere. These reactions create complex compounds, including a thin layer of smog composed of hydrogen and carbon compounds above the visible clouds. This smog does not obstruct the view of the cloud formations beneath it. Storms on Jupiter, such as the highly active white storms observed by the Hubble Space Telescope, also contribute to the atmospheric dynamics that produce this fascinating banded appearance.