Globe with colors indicating sinusoidal winds across the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere

The Northern Hemisphere's polar jet stream is a fast-moving belt of westerly winds that blow through the lower layers of the atmosphere. The air current is generated where colder air masses from the Arctic meet warmer air masses from the tropics. The location of the jet stream is variable, and it can have a major influence on weather in the Northern Hemisphere.

Source: 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Scientific Visualization Studio

Image Credit: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Public domain.

Page/s that contain this image: 
Arctic-Global Linkages
Last modified: 
3 January 2017 - 4:43pm