[net-gold] WEATHER: A Deep Dive into the Polar Vortex
- From: "David P. Dillard" <jwne@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: Net-Gold -- Educator Gold <Educator-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Net-Gold <Net-Gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, NetGold <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K-12ADMINLIFE <K12ADMIN@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, K12AdminLIFE <K12AdminLIFE@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, MediaMentor <mediamentor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Nabble Groups Net-Gold <ml-node+s3172864n3172864h56@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Platinum <net-platinum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Sean Grigsby <myarchives1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Net-Gold <NetGold_general@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple Gold Discussion Group <TEMPLE-GOLD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Temple University Net-Gold Archive <net-gold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Net-Gold @ Wiggio.com" <netgold@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Health Lists -- Health Diet Fitness Recreation Sports <healthrecsport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, HEALTH-RECREATION-SPORTS-TOURISM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2014 08:06:59 -0500 (EST)
.
.
WEATHER:
A Deep Dive into the Polar Vortex
.
.
A Deep Dive into the Polar Vortex
By Rick Grow
January 7 at 10:34 am
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/
2014/01/07/a-deep-dive-into-the-polar-vortex/?tid=pm_local_pop
.
A shorter URL for the above link:
.
http://tinyurl.com/ko3kk8l
.
.
As eerie as it sounds, there is no need to dramatize the polar vortex. It
is not new. We have faced bitterly cold air before, and we will face it
again.
.
The polar vortex is really just a large air mass that is extremely cold
(temperatures fall below -78C, or -108F, during the Northern Hemisphere
winter). This concentrated area of cold is encircled by a fast-flowing
river of air called the polar night jet. Basically, the jet with its
swiftly moving air current traps the vortex over and near the poles,
north and south.
.
Though the vortex is present throughout the year, it really comes alive
toward the winter. Temperatures cool off dramatically with the loss of
sunlight in the polar region. The cooling temperatures force the vertical
layer of air within the vortex to shrink because the colder air becomes,
the more dense it gets. The increased density lowers the volume of air
(density and volume have an inverse relationship), hence the shrinkage.
.
On a weather map, meteorologists identify areas of low and high heights to
identify the polar vortex. The low heights represent regions where the
vertical layer of air at a certain elevation is compressed, while the high
heights indicate regions where the layer of air is expanded. Think of it
this way: an area of low heights signifies that the air here is quite
dense and, hence, cold; an area of high heights tells you that the air
here is quite light and, hence, warm.
.
The polar vortex is most certainly an area of low heights. Meteorologists
most commonly analyze it at the 500 mb pressure level, which is roughly
18,000 feet above the ground. At this level, it looks like a massive low
pressure system with a characteristic counterclockwise circulation.
.
There are times during the winter when this circulation goes off the
rails. Waves continually move upward through the atmosphere in the
Northern Hemisphere; sometimes, these waves crash into the polar vortex.
If this wave-crashing activity is strong and persistent enough, the vortex
will begin to weaken and parts of it literally chunks of brutally cold
air will break off into one or all of the three big continents (Europe,
Asia and North America).
.
Below is a loop of the 500 mb heights over the last 30 days. Blue colors
indicate areas of relatively low heights. At the beginning of the loop in
early-mid December, the polar vortex is easily identifiable. Note how it
had a home base between Canada and Greenland (close to Baffin Bay). In
late December, the vortex began to split apart and, by the start of the
new year, a large piece of it escaped to the south over Quebec. Bitterly
cold air accompanied this piece of the vortex last Friday and Saturday,
with snow-covered areas of the Northeast feeling the most extreme cold.
.
.
The complete article may be read at the URL above.
.
.
Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
jwne@xxxxxxxxxx
http://workface.com/e/daviddillard
Net-Gold
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/net-gold
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/net-gold.html
Index: http://tinyurl.com/myxb4w
General Internet & Print Resources
http://guides.temple.edu/general-internet
COUNTRIES
http://guides.temple.edu/general-country-info
EMPLOYMENT
http://guides.temple.edu/EMPLOYMENT
TOURISM
http://guides.temple.edu/tourism
DISABILITIES
http://guides.temple.edu/DISABILITIES
INDOOR GARDENING
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IndoorGardeningUrban/
Educator-Gold
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Educator-Gold/
K12ADMINLIFE
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K12AdminLIFE/
The Russell Conwell Learning Center Research Guide:
THE COLLEGE LEARNING CENTER
http://tinyurl.com/yae7w79
Information Literacy
http://guides.temple.edu/infolit
Nina Dillard's Photographs on Net-Gold
http://tinyurl.com/36qd2o
and also at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neemers/
Twitter: davidpdillard
Temple University Site Map
https://sites.google.com/site/templeunivsitemap/home
Bushell, R. & Sheldon, P. (eds),
Wellness and Tourism: Mind, Body, Spirit,
Place, New York: Cognizant Communication Books.
Wellness Tourism: Bibliographic and Webliographic Essay
David P. Dillard
http://tinyurl.com/p63whl
INDOOR GARDENING
Improve Your Chances for Indoor Gardening Success
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IndoorGardeningUrban/
SPORT-MED
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/sport-med.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sports-med/
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/sport-med.html
HEALTH DIET FITNESS RECREATION SPORTS TOURISM
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/healthrecsport/
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/health-recreation-sports-tourism.html
.
.
Please Ignore All Links to JIGLU
in search results for Net-Gold and related lists.
The Net-Gold relationship with JIGLU has
been terminated by JIGLU and these are dead links.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Net-Gold/message/30664
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/healthrecsport/message/145
Temple University Listserv Alert :
Years 2009 and 2010 Eliminated from Archives
https://sites.google.com/site/templeuniversitylistservalert/
.
.
Other related posts:
- » [net-gold] WEATHER: A Deep Dive into the Polar Vortex - David P. Dillard
