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DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Geography

Lecture - 37
Jet Streams
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Jet Streams
Geostrophic Wind:
❖ The velocity and direction of the wind are the net result of the wind generating forces i.e., the Coriolis Force,
Pressure Gradient Force, and Frictional
Force.
❖ The winds in the upper atmosphere, 2-3 km
above the surface, are free from the frictional
effect of the surface and are controlled by the
pressure gradient and the Coriolis force.
❖ An air parcel initially at rest will move from
high pressure to low pressure because of the
Pressure Gradient Force (PGF).
❖ However, as that air parcel begins to move, it is
deflected by the Coriolis force to the right in
the Northern Hemisphere (to the left in the southern hemisphere).
❖ As the wind gains speed, the deflection increases until the Coriolis force equals the pressure gradient force (2–
3 km above the ground, friction is low and winds travel at greater speeds).
❖ At this point, the wind will be blowing parallel to the isobars (perpendicular to Pressure Gradient Force).
❖ When this happens, the wind is referred to as Geostrophic Wind.
Jet Streams:
❖ The Jet Stream is a geostrophic wind blowing
horizontally through the upper layers of the
troposphere, generally from west to east, at an altitude of
6-13 km above the surface of the earth.
❖ Jet Streams develop where air masses of different
temperatures meet. So, usually surface temperatures
determine where the Jet Stream will form.
➢ Greater the difference in temperature, the faster
the wind velocity inside the jet stream.
❖ Jet Streams extend from 20 degrees latitude to the poles
in both hemispheres.
Origin of Jet Streams:
❖ Jet streams are caused by the temperature difference between tropical air masses and polar air masses.
❖ Tropical air is warm and polar air is cold, and this is due to its relative locations.
❖ So, what happens in one part of the world depends on what is happening elsewhere, after all the atmosphere is
one complete environment, it is connected with so many factors.
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Where Does the Jet Stream Begin?

❖ It originates in the tropics, which means around the equator.
❖ This region is warm because the
Insolation falls overhead at the
equator. Hence, it is a place that
fuels the jet stream.
❖ At the Equator, the warm air rises
up in the atmosphere and goes to the
region between the troposphere
and stratosphere.
❖ From here, this warm air gets
drawn toward the colder air
found in the north and south pole.
❖ Now at higher altitudes, the warm
air cools and sinks, drawing more and more warm air behind it.
❖ Meanwhile the cooled air flows towards the equator creating a simple looping mechanism. It’s endless
repetition.
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Features of Jet Streams:

❖ Narrow Bands: These are narrow concentrated bands of winds. The stream of air is very narrow (a few hundred
km across) and the air in the stream is directed towards the axis of the stream making it very narrow.
❖ Circumpolar (situated around or inhabiting one of the earth's poles): Jet streams are winds that circle around
the earth with poles as their centers.
❖ High Velocity: Pressure gradient increases with altitude and
creates high velocity winds at higher altitudes.
➢ The friction in the upper troposphere is quite low due to
less dense air. Hence, the Jet streams flow at great velocities.
➢ Temperature also influences the velocity of the jet stream.
➢ The greater the difference in air temperature, the faster the jet
stream, which can reach speeds of up to 250 mph (402 kph)
or greater, but average about 110 mph (177 kph).
➢ The jet streams have an average velocity of 120 kilometers
per hour in winter and 50 km per hour in summer.
➢ These jet streams also have cores where the
speed is much greater.
❖ Geostrophic Streams: The direction of the jet
stream is determined by pressure gradient force
(temperature contrast creates pressure gradients) and
Coriolis force.
➢ The direction of the jet stream is perpendicular
to the pressure gradient force.
➢ The winds surrounding jet streams are of
comparatively low velocities.
❖ Are a part of upper-level westerlies: Jet streams
are produced due to winds flowing from the tropics towards the poles. In polar jet streams, wind flows from
the temperate region towards the polar region, and in sub-polar jet streams winds flow from sub-tropics
towards the temperate region.
➢ Anything moving from the
tropics towards the poles deflects
towards their right in the
northern hemisphere and
towards their left in the
southern hemisphere due to the
Coriolis effect.
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❖ Upper Tropospheric: Jet streams flow just below the Tropopause.

➢ Polar jet streams flow 6–9 km above the ground and Sub-
tropical jet streams flow 10–16 km above the ground.
❖ Concentrated bands of Meandering: When the temperature
contrast is maximum, the jet stream flows nearly straight.
➢ But when the temperature contrast reduces, the jet stream
nearly follows the meandering path.
➢ Therefore, meandering depends on temperature contrast
(Temperature difference).
➢ A Meander is called a peak or ridge if it is towards the
poles and trough if it is towards the equator.
Rossby Waves:
❖ The meandering jet streams are called Rossby Waves.
❖ Rossby waves are a natural phenomenon
in the atmosphere and oceans due to the
rotation of the earth.
❖ Rossby waves are formed when high-
intensity polar air moves Equatorwards
while tropical air moves poleward.
❖ The existence of these waves explains the
low-pressure cells (cyclones) and high-
pressure cells (anticyclones).
Permanent Jet Streams:
❖ There are Two Permanent
Jet Streams – subtropical
jets at lower latitudes and
polar front jets at mid-
latitudes.
1. Subtropical Jet Stream
(STJ):
➢ The sub-tropical jet
stream is produced by
the earth’s rotation
(Coriolis force) and
temperature
contrast between
tropical and sub–tropical regions.
➢ At the equator, the rotation produces the greatest velocity in the atmosphere.
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➢ As a result, the rising air which spreads out northwards and southwards moves faster than the latitudes over
which it is blowing.
➢ It is deflected to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere, and
at about 30° latitude, it becomes concentrated as the subtropical jet streams.
➢ During winter, the STJ is nearly continuous in both hemispheres.
➢ The STJ exists throughout the year in the southern hemisphere.
➢ However, it is intermittent in the northern hemisphere during summer when it migrates north.
➢ The STJ can be temporarily displaced when strong mid-latitude troughs extend into subtropical latitudes.
➢ When these displacements occur, the subtropical jet can merge with the polar front jet.
➢ STJ is closely connected to the Indian and African summer monsoons.
2. Polar Front Jet (PFJ):
➢ The polar front jet is produced by a temperature difference and
is closely related to the polar front.
➢ It has a more variable position than the sub-tropical jet.
✓ In summer, its position shifts towards the poles, and in
winter towards the equator.
➢ The jet is strong and continuous in winter.
➢ It greatly influences climates of regions lying close to 60 degree
latitude.
➢ It determines the path and speed and intensity of temperate
cyclones.
Temporary Jet Streams:
❖ Temporary Jet Streams are Somali Jet, Polar Night Jet Stream, and The African Easterly Jet.
The Tropical Easterly Jet or African Easterly Jet:
❖ There are also major high-velocity winds in the
lower troposphere called Low-Level Jets (LLJs).
❖ In the tropics, the most prominent of these are the
Somali Jet and the African Easterly Jet.
❖ The TEJ is a unique and dominant feature of the
northern hemisphere during summer over
southern Asia and northern Africa.
❖ The TEJ is found between 5° and 20° North.
❖ It is continuous in its position, direction, and
intensity from June till the beginning of
October.
❖ The TEJ is the upper-level venting system for
the strong southwest monsoon.
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❖ The establishment and maintenance of the TEJ are not fully understood but it is believed that the jet may be
caused by the uniquely high temperatures and heights over the Tibetan Plateau during summer.
❖ During the south Asian summer monsoon, the TEJ induces secondary circulations that enhance convection over
South India and the nearby ocean.
The Somali Jet:
❖ Among the most well-known of the tropical LLJs is
the Somali Jet, a southwesterly jet.
❖ The Somali jet occurs during the summer over
northern Madagascar and off the coast of
Somalia.
❖ The jet is most intense from June to August.
❖ It is a major cross-equatorial flow from the southern
Indian Ocean to the central Arabian Sea.
❖ A split in the axis of the jet over the Arabian Sea, the
more northern branch intersecting the west coast of
India near 17° North, while the southerly branch
moves eastward just south of India.
❖ The jet remains relatively steady from June to September before moving southward to the southern
Indian Ocean during the winter.
Polar Night Jet Stream:
❖ Also called the stratospheric subpolar jet stream, it develops in winter due to the sharp temperature gradient
in the stratosphere around the poles at the height of 30km.
❖ These jet streams become very strong westerly circulation with high wind velocity during winters but their
velocity decreases during summers and the direction becomes easterly.
Influence of Jet Streams on Weather:
❖ Jet streams help in the maintenance of latitudinal heat balance by mass exchange of air.
❖ PFJ influences the mid-latitude weather disturbances. Usually, there are severe storms when jet streams
interfere with surface wind systems.
❖ Jet streams also influence the path of temperate cyclones. They have an influence on the distribution of
precipitation by temperate cyclones.
❖ Sub-tropical jet streams and some temporary jet streams together influence Indian Monsoon patterns.
❖ Jet streams also exercise an influence on the movement of air masses which may cause prolonged Drought or
Flood conditions.
Jet Streams and Weather in Temperate Regions:
❖ PFJ plays a key role in determining the weather because they usually separate colder air and warmer air.
❖ Jet streams generally push air masses around, moving weather systems to new areas and even causing
them to stall if they have moved too far away.
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❖ PFJ plays a major role in determining the path

and intensity of frontal precipitation and
frontal cyclones or temperate cyclones.
❖ Weak PFJ also results in the slipping of polar
vortex into temperate regions.
❖ Polar jets have distinct peaks (ridges) and
troughs.
➢ Ridges occur where the warm air (at high
pressure) pushes against the cold air.
➢ Troughs occur where cold air (at lower
pressure) drops into warm air.
✓ This condition occurs due to a weak
jet stream which is weak due to lesser temperature contrast between sub-tropics and temperate regions.
❖ These ridges and troughs give rise to jet
streaks which are the main reason behind
cyclonic and anticyclonic weather
conditions at the surface.
❖ The winds leaving the jet streak are rapidly
diverging, creating a lower pressure at the
upper level (Tropopause) in the
atmosphere.
❖ The air below rapidly replaces the upper
outflowing winds. This in turn creates low
pressure at the surface. This surface low
pressure creates conditions where the
surrounding surface winds rush inwards.
❖ The Coriolis effect creates the cyclonic rotation that is
associated with depressions.
❖ The winds entering the jet streak are rapidly converging, creating a
high pressure at the upper level (Tropopause) in the
atmosphere.
❖ This convergence at the upper troposphere leads to divergence
(high pressure) at the surface (anticyclonic condition).
❖ The Coriolis Effect creates the anticyclonic rotation that is
associated with clear weather.
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Indian Monsoon Mechanism and the Role of Sub-Tropical Jet Streams:

❖ The burst of monsoons depends upon the upper air circulation which is dominated by Sub-Tropical Jet
Streams (STJ).
❖ The south west monsoon coming into India is related to the tropical easterly stream. It blows between 8 degree-
35 degree North latitudes.
❖ The north east monsoon (winter monsoon) is related to the subtropical westerly Jet Stream which blows
between 20 degree and 35 degree latitudes in both hemispheres.

Seasonal Migration of Sub-Tropical Jet Streams:

❖ In winter, Sub-Tropical Jet Streams flow along the southern slopes of the Himalayas and in summer shifts
northwards dramatically, flowing along the edge of Himalayas in early June and in late summer (July-
August) along the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.
❖ The periodic movement of the Jet Stream often indicates the onset and subsequent withdrawal (STJ returns
back to its position – south of Himalayas) of the monsoon.
❖ Northward movement of the subtropical jet is the first indication of the onset of the monsoon over India.
How Does it Trigger The North East Monsoon?
❖ The westerly Jet Stream, is a cold wind which pushes down wind to the surface creating high pressure on the
surface.
❖ Dry winds from this high pressure area (north western part of India) start blowing towards the low
pressure area (Bay of Bengal).
❖ These winds in turn bring cold waves in winter in the northern part of the country including UP and
Bihar.
❖ After reaching the Bay of Bengal, westerly under the influence of Ferrel’s cell takes the form of north east
monsoon.
❖ When this wind reaches the coast of Tamil Nadu, it causes rainfall with the humidity received from the Bay
of Bengal.
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Jet Streams and Aviation:

❖ Jet streams are used by aviators if they have to
fly in the direction of the flow of the jet streams,
and avoid them when flying in opposite directions.
❖ Jet streams may also cause a bumpy flight full of
turbulence, because the jet stream is sometimes
unpredictable and can cause sudden movement.

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