Measurements of the vertical structure of Jupiter's circulation have r
ecently been made near the equator by the Galileo spacecraft probe. In
other regions, planetary vortices exist selectively; for a limited ra
nge of generic (exponential) vertical forms and can be used to probe t
he atmospheric structure theoretically. A study of vortex genesis with
a three-dimensional numerical model produces reasonably realistic sim
ulations of the Great Red Spot for both the generic and galilean forms
, provided that Jupiter's winds do not extend much beyond a 500 km dep
th. However, the actual depth of the winds remains uncertain.