What effect could the polar-front jet stream have on the speed of an airplane flying eastward?

They form because of temperature variations between the poles and equator, and they exist in both hemispheres, although those in the Northern Hemisphere are stronger. Airplanes flying eastward in a jet stream get a powerful boost, but those flying westward must fight an equally powerful headwind.

How can the jet stream affect the speed of airplanes?

While jet streams mainly transport weather systems from west to east, dips and rises in latitude and altitude in them can push systems north and south. The strong winds of the jet stream can provide a boost of speed for aircraft traveling from west to east, cutting down travel time.

Why the polar jets is generally faster than the subtropical jets?

Because north-south temperature contrasts are greater in winter than summer, the polar-front jet stream winds are faster in winter than in summer.

How does the polar-front influence the development of the polar-front jet streams?

How does the polar front influence the development of the polar-front jet stream? The polar front is a boundary separating the cold polar air to the north from the warm subtropical air to the south. In summer, the polar jet stream is weaker and is mainly located over more northern latitudes.

Which is the strongest jet stream?

polar jets
The strongest jet streams are the polar jets, at 9–12 km (30,000–39,000 ft) above sea level, and the higher altitude and somewhat weaker subtropical jets at 10–16 km (33,000–52,000 ft).

Why do pilots like to travel in a jet stream?

By flying in a jet stream, aircraft travelling from west to east get carried along by the tailwind, saving them time – and/or fuel. In fact most airline pilots are trained to reduce airspeed when the winds are so much to their advantage, to save fuel costs – not to fly in the shortest possible time.

What would happen if an airplane flew against a jet stream?

Besides a local weather storm, turbulence to an airplane may be caused by a plane flying into or out of a jet stream. The wind currents along the edges of the jet stream are choppy or turbulent as high-speed air meets more slowly moving, nearly stationary air (about 20 m.p.h.).

What has the greatest effect on the movement of the jet stream?

Which has the greatest effect on the MOVEMENT of the jet stream? The greater the ________difference between air masses, the FASTER the WIND blows in the jet stream.

What is one way that jet streams can affect weather?

The fast-moving air currents in a jet stream can transport weather systems across the United States, affecting temperature and precipitation. Jet streams typically move storms and other weather systems from west to east. However, jet streams can move in different ways, creating bulges of winds to the north and south.

Do planes fly in jet stream?

The main commercial relevance of the jet streams is in air travel, as flight time can be dramatically affected by either flying with the flow or against, which results in significant fuel and time cost savings for airlines. Often, the airlines work to fly ‘with’ the jet stream for this reason.

Which is jet stream sits atop the polar front?

Written By: Polar front jet stream, also called polar front jet or midlatitude jet stream, a belt of powerful upper-level winds that sits atop the polar front.

How does the polar front affect the climate?

climate: Jet streams. The polar front jet moves in a generally westerly direction in midlatitudes, and its vertical wind shear which extends below its core is associated with horizontal temperature gradients that extend to the surface.

Where does the Ferrell cell and the polar jet stream meet?

At this low pressure zone, relatively warm, moist air of the Ferrell Cell runs into relatively cold, dry air of the Polar cell. The weather where these two meet is extremely variable, typical of much of North America and Europe. The polar jet stream is found high up in the atmosphere where the two cells come together.

Where does the jet stream start and end?

The jet, running from west to east, is pinned to the north-south temperature contrast. Hence, it runs along the boundary between warm, sub-tropical air to the south, and cold, polar air to the north.

How does the polar front affect the jet stream?

The polar [&front&] [&jet&] moves in a generally westerly direction in midlatitudes, and its vertical wind shear which extends below its core is associated with horizontal temperature gradients that extend to the surface. As a consequence, this [&jet&] manifests itself as a [&front&] that marks the…. [&jet&] [&stream&].

What causes the formation of the jet stream?

The cause and Formation of the Jet Stream. The polar and subtropical jet streams Jet streams are created at the region in the tropopause where strong winds are deflected into narrow bands of fast moving winds. The polar jet stream, which is associated with the polar front, travels in a west to east direction.

What is the current wind speed in the jet stream?

The Current Wind map shows the current wind speed and direction for the most recent hour.

How is weather related to the polar front?

Everyday weather is often associated with undulations of this frontal surface. Here we will study the observed structure of the polar front. On the right you can see the long-term Northern Hemisphere mean air temperature at 500mb for January, contoured every 5°C.