Basic Climatology

BCE 22012

Jet streams

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At the end of this session you will be able to;

1. Define the jet Stream.

2. Explain the polar and subtropical jet streams.

3. Briefly describe the causes for jet streams.

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Jet Stream?
• Jet streams are very fast moving air currents flowing in
narrow paths in the Earth´s atmosphere. Jet streams are
several hundreds of miles long and less than one mile thick.
Jet streams form in a region between the troposphere and
the stratosphere called the tropopause, situated between
10 and 14 km (6-9 miles) above the surface of the Earth.

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Jet Stream

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 Jet Stream
• There are two jet streams that are usually used to forecast
weather; the tropical jet stream located near 30 degrees latitude,
and the polar jet stream located at 60 degrees latitude.

• Jet streams are produced by two air masses of contrasting

temperature at the tropopause and the rotation of the Earth.

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The polar and subtropical jet streams
• Jet streams are created at the region in the tropopause where
strong winds are deflected into narrow bands of fast moving
winds.

• The polar jet stream, which is associated with the polar front,
travels in a west to east direction.

• The polar jet stream becomes strongest in the winter when the
variations in temperature along the polar front are greatest.

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The polar and subtropical jet streams

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The polar and subtropical jet streams
• The subtropical jet stream forms in a region between 20° and
30° latitude, where warm air is carried toward the pole by the
Hadley cell.

• The polar jet stream forms at about 10 km (6.2 miles) of altitude,

while the subtropical jet stream is produced at a higher altitude,
close to 13 km (8.8 miles).

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 What causes jet streams
• Warming at the equator produces a low pressure system, while
at the poles excessive cooling produces a high pressure system.

• Cold surface polar air travels toward the equator driven by a

horizontal pressure gradient, while warm air at the equator
flows towards the poles.

• The warm air at the equator rises to the tropopause, where it is

forced to move toward the poles.

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 What causes jet streams
• The Coriolis effect acts on the winds flowing toward the poles,
deflecting them toward the right, creating westerly winds high in
the atmosphere in both hemispheres.

• These westerly winds produce jet streams at 30° and 60° latitude,
when these winds reach maximum speed.

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How do jet streams affect the weather?
• Jet streams, which are rapidly moving ribbons of air 6 to 9 miles
above the Earth, influence the weather by separating warm and
cold air and pushing weather systems around the globe.

• The movement of a jet stream affects temperatures and

precipitation.

• Meteorologists describe jet streams as resembling rivers in their

flow.

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How do jet streams affect the weather?
• The average jet stream is a band of wind traveling between 120
and 250 miles per hour.

• Each jet stream is up to several hundred miles wide and

thousands of miles long.

• Each winter, the polar jet stream moves south and grows
stronger as the North Pole grows colder.

• The Mount Everest, sometimes encounter the jet stream in the

form of icy winds. These winds are sometimes so high and cold
that they are forced to remain in their tents until they subside.12
Jet stream effecting Indian climate

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Jet stream effecting Indian climate
• This is called Tropical Easterly Jet and is a temporary jet stream
which occurs in summers.

• It affects the Indian monsoon as the stronger it is it pushes the

winds towards Indian sub-continent and monsoon strengthens.

• Another permanent stream which affects Indian Monsoon is

Sub-Tropical Westerly Jet.

• It prevails over northern part of India in winter and is

responsible for creating High Pressure over there.
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Jet stream effecting Indian climate
• But in summers it gets divided into two parts and north part goes
upwards and south part sometimes still remains over north India.

• This southern portion of Sub-Tropical westerly jet resists Indian

monsoon and it does not allow the winds to from over there as
it maintains the high pressure in north India and when this
southern part completely moves northwards will the low
pressure develop in north India and monsoon will get
strengthened. Thus these two jet streams affects Indian
Monsoon.
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