Jet streams: fast and furious: weatherwatch with BBC weather forecaster Helen Willetts.(Worldwatch)

From: Geographical | Date: April 1, 2005| Author: | Copyright information

What are jet streams?

Jet streams are parcels of rapidly moving air found in the upper atmosphere. Wind speeds at the core of the jet are generally in excess of 60 knots (110km/h), although in winter, they often surpass 140 knots. While they are only a few kilometres deep at most, jets can be hundreds of kilometres wide and thousands long.

Where and how do they occur?

Jets meander around the globe, steered by pressure distribution. They are found where neighbouring air masses have very different temperatures. This disparity across a small depth of air creates strong ...

Read all of this article with a FREE trial to HighBeam Research

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

(Including press releases, facts, information, and biographies)

Deserts creeping towards populated areas: study
; ...toward heavily populated areas as the jet streams shift, researchers reported yesterday...altitudes where the northern and southern jet streams slip past like swift and massive rivers of air. That bulging has pushed both jet streams about 110 kilometres closer to the Earth...
CHANGING JET STREAMS COULD AFFECT CLIMATE
; ...of a recent finding that the Earth's jet streams recently rose in altitude and moved...to calculate the average location of jet streams for the period 1979-2001. They discovered...intensity during the 23-year period. Two jet streams in the Southern Hemisphere, the polar...
Split jet stream will keep snowstorms south of Wisconsin
; ...state. I wrote about the formation of jet streams Wednesday and will continue today. Atmospheric jet streams are swiftly flowing air currents reaching...north and south at times. The two main jet streams found in the Northern Hemisphere are...
Hot zones expanding, researchers say
; ...expanding and shifting the storm-steering jet streams toward the poles. Researchers report...The scientists also found that the jet streams of the Northern and Southern hemispheres...zones bulge in a way that moved the jet streams further toward the poles. Earth has...
Moving jet streams expand reach of tropics
; ...toward heavily populated areas as the jet streams shift, researchers reported yesterday...altitudes where the northern and southern jet streams slip past like swift and massive rivers of air. That bulging has pushed both jet streams about 70 miles closer to the Earth's...
Research:As jet streams shift, tropics broaden; Areas already stressed by drought might get even drier
; ...toward heavily populated areas as the jet streams shift, researchers reported Thursday...altitudes where the northern and southern jet streams slip past like swift and massive rivers of air. That bulging has pushed both jet streams about 70 miles closer to the Earth's...
Readers offer cold-weather poetry, questions
; ...of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans cause the jet streams to buckle. The jet streams are narrow ribbons of fast-moving air in the...connection with the rest of the atmosphere. The jet streams form a dividing line between the warmest and...
FINDINGS
; ...toward heavily populated areas as the jet streams shift, researchers reported yesterday...altitudes where the northern and southern jet streams slip past like swift and vast rivers of air. That bulging has pushed both jet streams about 70 miles closer to Earth's poles...
Q & A ON THE NEWS.(NEWS)
; ...New York Times and Cox News Service A. Jet streams are narrow rivers of relatively fast-movi...split. There also are other distinct jet streams. The subtropical jet stream, which typically...Finally, Marquis explained, not all jet streams are miles above the ground. Low-level...
50 Years Ago: 1951.(Brief Article)
; ...humidity reading of 22 percent.--October 1951 Jet Streams and Aircraft Operations Jet streams are narrow currents of very strong winds...flights. These strong winds were christened jet streams by the experts at the University of Chicago...