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Understanding Jet Streams and Climate Impact

Jet streams are narrow bands of strong winds in the upper atmosphere that primarily flow from west to east, influenced by landmasses and the Coriolis effect. They vary in type, including Polar Front, Subtropical Westerly, and Tropical Easterly Jet Streams, and significantly impact climate, particularly in India, by affecting temperature and precipitation patterns. Jet streams also play a crucial role in the onset and withdrawal of monsoons and are associated with weather phenomena like El Nino and La Nina.

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7 views2 pages

Understanding Jet Streams and Climate Impact

Jet streams are narrow bands of strong winds in the upper atmosphere that primarily flow from west to east, influenced by landmasses and the Coriolis effect. They vary in type, including Polar Front, Subtropical Westerly, and Tropical Easterly Jet Streams, and significantly impact climate, particularly in India, by affecting temperature and precipitation patterns. Jet streams also play a crucial role in the onset and withdrawal of monsoons and are associated with weather phenomena like El Nino and La Nina.

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punityadavp23
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JET STREAM

According to Trewartha, jet streams are relatively narrow bands of stronger winds bonded by
slower moving air.

• In the upper atmosphere, jet streams are relatively narrow bands of strong
wind.
• Jet streams blow from west to east, but the flow frequently shifts to the
north and south.

Factors Influencing Jet Streams


• The landmasses and the Coriolis effect are two factors that influence the
flow of the jet stream.
• The flow of the jet is disrupted by landmasses due
to friction and temperature differences, and the earth's spinning
nature emphasises these changes.

Characteristics of Jet streams


• The effect of Earth's rotation causes Jet streams to circulate from west to
east.
• Their circulation path is wavy and curving.
• The average wind speed is extremely high, with a winter low of around 120
km/h and a summer high of 50 km/h.

Types of Jet streams


The Jet Streams are of the following types:

• Polar Front Jet Streams - They form above the convergence zone of the
surface polar cold air mass and tropical warm air mass (40 degrees and 60
degrees latitude).
• Subtropical Westerly Jet streams - They move north of the subtropical
high-pressure belt in the upper troposphere in both hemispheres above 30
degrees to 35 degrees latitude. Their circulation is from west to east.
• Tropical Easterly Jet Streams - This strong upper-atmosphere flow that
develops during the Asian monsoon is centred on 15°N, 50-80°E, and
extends from Southeast Asia to Africa.
How do Jet Streams affect the Indian climate?
• During the winter months, the westerly jet stream brings western cyclonic
disturbances (originating over the Mediterranean Sea) that enter the Indian
subcontinent from the west and northwest.
• The arrival of these cyclone disturbances is usually preceded by an increase
in the prevailing night temperature.
• Tropical cyclones are part of the easterly flow and occur during the monsoon
season as well as in October and November.

Climatic Significance of Jet Streams

• At times, Jet Streams bring about some moisture leading to the formation of
Noctilucent clouds.
• Plays a significant role in the onset and withdrawal of monsoon winds.
• They also help in giving a relatively clear picture of the occurrence of the
events of El Nino and La Nina.
• The monsoon of South Asia is largely affected and controlled by Jet streams.

Diagrammatic Representation of Index Cycle of the Jet Stream

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