Sea Ice to Chicken Barns

Question 1

In todays climate, how are the zonal jet streams changing compared to the past?

Answer 1

They are moving up and down, increasing the intense fluctuations in temperature that we witnessed this year with extreme cold and warm stretches

Question 2

How does the duration differ between zonal and meridonal jet streams?

Answer 2

Zonal: more stable and persistent, lasting several days to weeks
Meridional: Less stable and can change rapidly, leading to more abrupt changes, can last from a few days to a couple weeks

Question 3

What was noticed with the meridional jet streams this year?

Answer 3

Not stable and fluctuated a lot
Stayed around a lot longer than usual

Question 4

How does melting ice at the poles lead to increased global warming?

Answer 4

Open water retains heat, which is then released into the atmosphere, vs frozen ground (ice, which) does not retain heat

Question 5

What are dynamic lows, and how do they occur?
wind convergence vs divergence

Answer 5

Surface lows (counter-clockwise) resulting from upper-tropospheric motions
- occur under areas of wind divergence