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

New metrics and evidence are presented 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. We find robust relationships among seasonal and regiona...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental Research Letters
Main Authors: Jennifer A Francis, Stephen J Vavrus
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2015
Subjects:
jet stream
Arctic amplification
extreme weather
Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering
TD1-1066
Environmental sciences
GE1-350
Science
Q
Physics
QC1-999
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/1/014005
https://doaj.org/article/093d4bee55764b9c99b7771114d64cf3
Description
Summary:New metrics and evidence are presented 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. We find robust relationships among seasonal and regional patterns of weaker poleward thickness gradients, weaker zonal upper-level winds, and a more meridional flow direction. These 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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