Seasonal north-south asymmetry in solar radiation incident on jupiter's atmosphere

Although the orbital eccentricity and axial tilt are small, the near-temporal coincidence of perihelion and the northernmost excursion of the subsolar point produce asymmetries in the solar radiation incident on Jupiter's atmosphere. Calculations of the incident radiation and the latitudinal gradient of the insolation are presented. North-south asymmetries in the zonal wind and morphology of the large-scale cloud systems observed by Voyagers 1 and 2 are cited. In the absence of an identified internal mechanism capable of generating the observed asymmetries, seasonal forcing of this magnitude should be considered.