Science Source
Jennifer A Francis, Stephen J Vavrus
Environmental Research Letters
Published date January 6, 2015

Evidence for a wavier jet stream in response to rapid Arctic warming

  • Presents new metrics and evidence that support a linkage between rapid Arctic warming, relative to Northern hemisphere mid-latitudes, and more frequent high-amplitude (wavy) jet-stream configurations that favor persistent weather patterns
  • Finds robust relationships among seasonal and regional patterns of weaker poleward thickness gradients, weaker zonal upper-level winds, and a more meridional flow direction
  • Results suggest that as the Arctic continues to warm faster than elsewhere in response to rising greenhouse-gas concentrations, the frequency of extreme weather events caused by persistent jet-stream patterns will increase

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