Rapid Arctic warming has not led to a “wavier” jet stream around the mid-latitudes in recent decades, pioneering new research has shown.
Scientists from the University of Exeter have studied the extent to which Arctic amplification – the faster rate of warming in the Arctic compared to places farther south – has affected the fluctuation of the jet stream’s winding course over the North Hemisphere.
Recent studies have suggested the warming Arctic region has led to a “wavier” jet stream – which can lead to extreme weather conditions striking the US and Europe.
However, the new study by Dr Russell Blackport and Professor James Screen, shows that Arctic warming does not drive a more meandering jet stream.
Instead, they believe any link is more likely to be a result of random fluctuations in the jet stream influencing Arctic temperatures, rather than the other way around.
The study is published in leading journal Science Advances on Wednesday 19 February 2020.
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