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P.G.J. Irwin, S.B. Calcutt, F.W. Taylor, A. Baugh, S. Webster (Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Oxford University), C.A. Nixon (Goddard Space Flight Center), R.W. Carlson (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
Evidence for the existence of a deep (4-5 bar) water cloud in Jupiter's atmosphere has been found by the Galileo Solid State Imager at wavelengths between 0.7 and 1.0 \mum. Similar evidence is now being found in data from the lower spatial resolution Galileo Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer. These clouds appear to be small and localised and are generally thought to be thunderstorm clouds.
In addition, evidence for deep water clouds is also becoming apparent in the 5-\mum spectra measured by NIMS where the presence of such clouds is indicated by an overall slope in the 5-\mum spectrum. The clouds indicated by this technique appear to be extended and roughly coincident with the observed visible zone regions.
Thus the elusive water clouds on Jupiter appear in fact to be widely present in the atmosphere of Jupiter, and appear to be of two main types; localised thunderstorm clouds as observed by the near-infrared data, and the more extended clouds under the observed zone clouds indicated by the 5-\mum spectra.