Know About Jet Streams

What are jet streams? How are they formed? What type of jet streams are there? These are some of the questions that we will answer in this blog post. Jet streams are a type of atmospheric circulation that play a very important role in our global climate. They form near the tropopause, which is the boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere. There are three types of jet streams: polar, subtropical, and tropical. Each one has its own unique characteristics. In this blog post, we will discuss each type in detail!

What Are Jet Streams?

Jet streams are narrow, fast-flowing, meandering air currents in the surroundings of some planets. The earth is one of them. The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds. These jet streams may start in the horse latitudes (areas near the 30th parallel north and south of the equator) where there is low pressure and warm air rising. The jet streams then flow eastward at high altitudes, where the air is much colder.

How Many Types Of Jet Streams Are There?

Basically, there are 5 types of jet streams viz. The polar jet stream, Subtropical jet stream, Tropical jet stream, Occluded jet stream and Frontal jet stream. Out of these, the most important ones for us are the Subtropical jet stream and the  Polar jet stream as they greatly influence the weather conditions over India.

Polar jet streams are fast-flowing, little air currents located in the atmosphere around the Earth’s poles. These jet streams meander from west to east and may start in the horse latitudes (areas near the 30th parallel north and south of the equator).

Subtropical jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents uncovered in the atmospheres of planets near their subtropics. These jet streams meander from west to east and start at around 30 degrees latitude north and south of the equator.

Tropical jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents uncovered in the atmospheres of planets near their tropics. These jet streams meander from west to east and start at around 20-30 degrees latitude north and south of the equator.

Occluded jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents encountered in the atmospheres of planets where an area of low pressure has moved into an area of high pressure. These jet streams meander from west to east and start at around 60 degrees latitude north and south of the equator.

Frontal jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents seen in the atmospheres of planets near areas of low pressure. These jet streams meander from west to east and start at around 60 degrees latitude north and south of the equator.

How Are Jet Streams Formed?

Jet streams form when there is a difference in temperature between two air masses. The warmer air mass rises and the cooler air mass sinks. The jet stream forms where the two air masses meet. The jet stream blows from the warmer air mass to the cooler air mass.

Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow, meandering air currents. These flow in some planets’  atmospheres including Earth. The significant jet streams on Earth are westerly winds. These jet streams may start in the horse latitudes (areas near the 30th parallel north and south of the equator) where there is low pressure and warm air rising. The jet streams then flow eastward at high altitudes, where the air is much colder.

How Do Jet Streams Affect Weather?

Jet streams can affect weather in a number of ways. They can cause weather systems to move across the planet from west to east. This is because jet streams blow from west to east. Jet streams can also cause severe weather conditions, such as thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Jet streams can also influence the formation of clouds and precipitation.

Conclusion

The jet stream can have a big effect on the weather. The jet stream can cause storms and can also help to steer storms around the globe. The jet stream can also affect temperature because it blows warm air from the equator towards the poles and cold air from the poles towards the equator. There are two main types of jet streams, polar streams and subtropical jet streams.