What's in a Name? On the Use and Significance of the Term “Polar Vortex”

Manney, G. L.; Butler, A. H.; Lawrence, Z. D.; Wargan, K.; Santee, M. L.

doi:10.1029/2021GL097617

Advanced Search

Select up to three search categories and corresponding keywords using the fields to the right. Refer to the Help section for more detailed instructions.

Search our Collections & Repository

Advanced Search
Custom Query

All these words:

For very narrow results

This exact word or phrase:

When looking for a specific result

Any of these words:

Best used for discovery & interchangable words

None of these words:

Recommended to be used in conjunction with other fields

Language:

Dates

Publication Date Range:

to

Document Data

Title:

Document Type:

Library

Collection:

Series:

People

Author:

Clear All

Query Builder

Query box

Clear All

For additional assistance using the Custom Query please check out our Help Page

i

What's in a Name? On the Use and Significance of the Term “Polar Vortex”

2022
By Manney, G. L. ; Butler, A. H. ; Lawrence, Z. D. ; ...
Source: Geophysical Research Letters, 49, e2021GL097617

[PDF-4.02 MB]

Details You May Also Like

Details:

Journal Title:

Geophysical Research Letters
Personal Author:

Manney, G. L. ; Butler, A. H. ; Lawrence, Z. D. ; Wargan, K. ; Santee, M. L.

Manney, G. L. ; Butler, A. H. ; Lawrence, Z. D. ; Wargan, K. ; Santee, M. L. Less -
NOAA Program & Office:

OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; PSL (Physical Sciences Laboratory) ; CSL (Chemical Sciences Laboratory) ; CIRES (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences)

OAR (Oceanic and Atmospheric Research) ; PSL (Physical Sciences Laboratory) ; CSL (Chemical Sciences Laboratory) ; CIRES (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences) Less -
Description:

Mainstream and popular science media are rife with misunderstandings about what a “polar vortex” is. The term most aptly describes the stratospheric polar vortex, a single feature dominating the cool-season circulation from ∼15–50 km. Regional jet stream variations dominate the tropospheric circulation, which is not well-described as a polar vortex; indeed, there is no single consistent definition of a tropospheric polar vortex in the literature. Stratospheric polar vortex disturbances profoundly influence extreme weather events, including cold air outbreaks (CAOs). How the stratospheric polar vortex affects tropospheric jets, whose local excursions drive CAOs, is not fully understood. Public-facing parts of publications describing research on this topic are not always clear about how the “polar vortex” is defined; greater clarity could improve communications both within the community and with non-specialist audiences.
Keywords:

[+]

Polar Vortex Tropospheric Circulation Cold Air Outbreaks (CAOs) Stratospheric Polar Vortex Upper Tropospheric Jet Streams
Source:

Geophysical Research Letters, 49, e2021GL097617
DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL097617
Format:

PDF
Document Type:

Journal Article
Funding:

Grant no. NA20NWS4680051
License:

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Rights Information:

CC BY-NC-ND
Compliance:

Submitted
Main Document Checksum:

[+]

urn:sha256:94ddcc0e211538764e34428a08479b5c40c9d3b03920e6cd490db451017ada5f
Download URL:

https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/48980/noaa_48980_DS1.pdf
File Type:

No Additional Files

More +

What's in a Name? On the Use and Significance of the Term “Polar Vortex”

Details:

Supporting Files

You May Also Like