Giant jet stream waves adversely affecting climate, finds latest study

Heat-waves
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A new study report published in the journal Science Advances has revealed that giant jet stream waves in the atmosphere are adversely affecting the weather down on earth. The study led by Michael Mann of the Penn State University also alarmingly warned that these giant waves are acting strangely due to human-induced global warming, which is resulting in extreme temperatures all across the globe.

Researchers who took part in the study also added that this rise in temperature could be more intense in the upcoming decades. During the study, the researchers found that the unusual warmth in the Arctic is causing jet streams, basically, rivers of air in the atmosphere to slow down. When the jet streams get locked in a particular place, it will result in weather havoc down.

"Most stationary jet stream disturbances will dissipate over time. However, under certain circumstances, the wave disturbance is effectively constrained by an atmospheric waveguide, something similar to the way a coaxial cable guides a television signal. Disturbances then cannot easily dissipate and very large amplitude swings in the jet stream north and south can remain in place as it rounds the globe," said Michael Mann, Science Daily reports.

Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, the co-author of the study revealed that if the same weather persists in the region for weeks, sunny weather will turn into drought, while small rain in the initial days will turn out to be heavy floods in the course of time.

As per researchers, these extreme jet stream waves known as 'quasi-resonant amplification' could be increased as much as 50 percent by 2100.

The research also surprisingly found that aerosols, another human-caused ingredient which causes air pollution will counteract the impact of global warming in our atmosphere. This phenomenon usually happens when the pollutants reflect back the sunlight which reaches the atmosphere, thus making the earth cooler.

This article was first published on November 3, 2018
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