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Jet Stream

Jet Stream. A jet stream (or jet) is a narrow current of strong winds. Can exist at several levels, but most often applied to the high velocity winds in the vicinity of the midlatitude tropopause. Midlatitude Jet Stream Facts. Can reach 250 mph (or more)

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Jet Stream

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  1. Jet Stream A jet stream (or jet) is a narrow current of strong winds. Can exist at several levels, but most often applied to the high velocity winds in the vicinity of the midlatitude tropopause

  2. Midlatitude Jet Stream Facts • Can reach 250 mph (or more) • Centered on the upper troposphere…around 250 hPa • Stronger in winter. Generally, weakens and moves northward during summer. • Closely associated with a tropospheric temperature gradient (thermal wind!) • Not uniform zonally

  3. Wasaburo Oishi, Japanese Discoverer (1920s)

  4. Fu-Go Balloon Weapon During WWII

  5. Strahlstromung (German) for “jet stream” first used in 1939 • Big effects on bomber flights during WWII

  6. Jet Stream winds are not uniform

  7. 250 mb isotach

  8. Shaded 70—110 knot

  9. Jet Stream versus Jet StreakA matter of sizeTerm ”jet stream” used for features of 1000’s of km. ”Jet streak” use for features of 100’s to 1000 km Note that air blow through the jet streak isotachs…the feature propagates more slowly than the strongest winds.

  10. Main Upper Tropospheric Jets Closely Associated with the Tropopause

  11. Tropopause

  12. General Definition • Tropopause: a boundary region or surface between the troposphere and stratosphere • Marked by a change in lapse rate from a typical tropospheric lapse rate (~6.5C per km) to isothermal or inversion conditions. • Sometimes hard to find, particularly near jet cores. • Can multiple tropopauses above a location • Lower in polar region than in the tropics.

  13. Official WMO Definition • “the point on the soundings where the lapse rate becomes less than 2C per km and remains less than that for a least 2 km”

  14. Finding the Tropopause

  15. Real World Examples:http://weather.uwyo.edu/upperair/sounding.html

  16. Tropopause is modulated synoptically • High in ridges, Low in troughs • Higher in tropics, lower towards poles

  17. Tropopause Heighthttps://atmos.washington.edu/~hakim/tropo/trop_pres.html

  18. There are TWO types of upper tropospheric jet streams • Polar front jet: associated with main midlatitude frontal/baroclinic zone. Typically 30-45N, ~250-300 hPa • Subtropical jet: associated with the northern portion of the tropical Hadley circulation. Typically around 30N, ~200 hPa

  19. Subtropical Jet Stream

  20. Subtropical Jet Stream Often Associated with a cloud band

  21. http://itg1.meteor.wisc.edu/wxwise/AckermanKnox/chap7/subtropical_jet.htmlhttp://itg1.meteor.wisc.edu/wxwise/AckermanKnox/chap7/subtropical_jet.html

  22. Jet Stream’s Relationship to Temperature Is Expressed Through Thermal Wind Arguments

  23. Thermal Wind Equation

  24. 250 mb isotach

  25. 1000-500 mb thickness-large thickness gradient and thus thermal wind near jet core

  26. Or alternatively…

  27. The Jet Stream Recall the horizontal temperature effects on the pressure: 500 mb 700 mb 850 mb Psurface Warm Cold

  28. The Jet Stream Consider the balance of forces at each level: Co PGF 500 mb 700 mb 850 mb Ps Warm Cold

  29. The Midlatitude Jet Stream is not uniform, which has to do with non-uniform temperature

  30. Where are largest temperature gradients?

  31. The thermal wind equation is a diagnostic equation, something needs to supply the momentum for the jets • The polar or midlatitude jet is often called the “eddy driven jet” because the convergence of momentum by eddies (storms) is important. • The subtropical jet is associated with Coriolis force acceleration of northerly branch of the subtropical jet.

  32. There are a variety of jet stream configurations that are well-known

  33. Horizontal cuts through the troposphere, jet, and stratosphere • Reversal of horizontal temperature gradient between troposphere and stratosphere • Tropopause break at jet.

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