Gas Giants
We study jets, vortices, convection, and turbulence in the atmospheres of giant planets, and use their striking cloud patterns to understand the planet interior.
Selected research
Related papers:
Shi and Kang 2025
When will the polar vortex be a vortex crystal or a single vortex?
We study the controlling factors for polar vortex morphology, identifying conditions for vortex crystal, single vortex, vortex soup to emerge. The vortex pattern contains information of the hidden deep dynamics.
Related papers:
Zeng, Kang, Flierl, Vallis 2026
What determines the direction of equatorial jets?
We investigate why Jupiter and Saturn have eastward equatorial jets, whereas Uranus and Neptune have westward ones, and how the depth of atmospheric circulation shapes the potential-vorticity structure that controls this transition.