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JET STREAM

WHAT IS A JET STREAM?

A Jet Stream is a narrow belt of high-speed winds flowing in the upper levels of
the atmosphere, typically in the tropopause (the boundary between the
troposphere and the stratosphere, ~9–16 km above sea level).

These winds flow from west to east and can reach speeds of 150–300 km/h or
more.

Jet Stream is a geostrophic wind blowing horizontally through the upper layers
of the troposphere, generally from west to east.

Jet Streams develop where air masses of differing temperatures meet. So,
usually surface temperatures determine where the Jet Stream will form.

Greater the difference in temperature, faster is the wind velocity inside the jet
stream.

Jet Streams extend from 20 degrees latitude to the poles in both hemispheres.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), “a strong narrow

current concentrated along a quasi-horizontal axis in the upper troposphere or

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the stratosphere characterized by strong vertical and lateral wind shear and
featuring one or more velocity maxima is called the jet stream.”

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE FLOW OF THE JET STREAM ARE THE

LANDMASSES AND THE CORIOLIS EFFECT.

• Landmasses interrupt the flow of the jet through friction and temperature
differences, whilst the spinning nature of the earth emphasizes these
changes. This causes the meandering movement.
• The meandering sections of the stream continue to change as they
interact with landmasses creating a state of flux and subsequent
temperature differences.
• In winter, the temperature of the stratosphere can also affect the strength
and position of the stream. The cooler the polar stratosphere, the stronger
the jet stream.
• The warmth of the landmasses and oceans (such as the El Nino Southern
Oscillation) can also have an impact on the strength and amplitude of the
stream.

WHAT ARE CHARACTERISTICS OF JET STREAMS?

Feature Description

Altitude Found in the upper troposphere and near the

tropopause (9–16 km high)
Speed Winds blow at 150–300 km/h, can exceed 400 km/h
during winter
Width & Depth A few hundred kilometers wide, about a few
kilometers thick
Length Can span thousands of kilometers, forming long,
wavy bands
Direction of Flow Always flows from west to east (due to Coriolis effect
and pressure gradient)

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Temperature Formed along sharp temperature gradients between

Gradient cold and warm air masses
Seasonal Variation Stronger and lower in winter, weaker and higher in
summer
Meandering Pattern Do not flow in straight lines – instead, they have a
wavy or meandering path
Formation Zone Found between two contrasting air masses (e.g.,
polar & tropical)
Pressure System Associated with low-pressure troughs and high-
Relation pressure ridges

WHAT ARE TYPES OF JET STREAMS?

Polar front jet streams

Subtropical Westerly Jet streams

Tropical easterly Jet streams

Polar night Jet Streams

Local Jet Streams

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Permanent jet streams: subtropical jets at lower latitudes and polar front
jets at mid latitudes.
Temporary jet streams: Tropical Easterly Jet or African Easterly Jet, and
Somali Jet (southwesterly).

MAJOR TYPES OF JET STREAMS

Jet Stream Location Altitude Seasonality Key Features

Type
Polar Front ~60° N/S 9–12 km Strongest in Separates cold
Jet Stream latitude winter polar air and
warm mid-
latitude air
Subtropical ~25°–35° N/S 12–16 km Present year- Influences
Jet Stream latitude round winter
(STJ) weather,
western

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disturbances in
India
Tropical 5°–20° N ~14 km Active during Moves east to
Easterly Jet (mostly over Indian west (opposite
(TEJ) India) summer to others);
monsoon essential for
(June–Sept) monsoon
rainfall
Polar Night Over polar ~30–50 km Winter only Forms due to
Jet stratosphere (stratosphere) (dark cooling in
months) polar night;
strongest in
polar vortex
Mid- ~30°–60° N/S 9–14 km Variable Guides
Latitude Jet temperate
Stream cyclones,
common in
mid-latitudes

POLAR FRONT JET STREAM (PFJ)

• Location: Along the polar front (~60° N/S latitude)

• Cause: Strong temperature gradient between polar and temperate zones

• Speed: Very strong (can exceed 300 km/h)

• Weather Impact:

Drives temperate cyclones

Affects cold wave intrusions into

mid-latitudes

Associated with storm tracks

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SUBTROPICAL JET STREAM (STJ)

• Location: Around 25°–35° N/S latitude

• Altitude: Higher than PFJ (12–16 km)

• Season: Present all year; stronger in winter

• Cause: Descending limb of Hadley Cell and upper-level divergence

• India Relevance:

Brings western disturbances in Inhibits monsoon onset unless

winter it shifts north of the Himalayas.

TROPICAL EASTERLY JET (TEJ)

• Location: Over Indian Ocean and Indian subcontinent (5°–20° N)

• Direction: East to West (opposite of others!)

• Season: Summer (especially June–September)

• Cause: Strong heating of the Tibetan Plateau and upper-air divergence

• Monsoon Link:

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o Crucial for onset and strength of the Southwest Monsoon

o Weak TEJ often leads to poor rainfall

POLAR NIGHT JET

• Location: Over polar regions, mainly stratosphere

• Season: Active during winter polar nights

• Altitude: 30–50 km (above troposphere)

• Cause: Extreme cooling of poles → strong upper-air temperature gradient

• Feature:

Contributes to Polar Vortex

Important in ozone depletion events

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MID-LATITUDE JET STREAMS

• A broader term covering jet streams between 30° and 60° latitude

• Often used interchangeably with PFJ or STJ

• Guide the paths of mid-latitude depressions and storm systems

SPECIAL MENTIONS / OTHER JET STREAM VARIANTS

Type Feature

Low-Level Jet Occurs below 3 km in the lower troposphere; important in

Stream night-time wind patterns

African Easterly Over West Africa; associated with tropical cyclone

Jet formation in the Atlantic

Somali Jet A low-level monsoon jet over the Arabian Sea during
stream Indian summer monsoon

WESTERLY JET STREAMS

The Westerly Jet Stream can be explained under the following headings:

POSITION AND HEIGHT OF WESTERLY JET STREAM

• The upper air westerly jet streams are positioned in Asia at a height of
about 12 km in the Troposphere.

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• These jet streams are bifurcated due to the mechanical barrier of

the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau during northern winter.

• One-part flows to the north and the other to the south of the plateau.

EFFECTS OF WESTERLY JET STREAM ON WEATHER CONDITIONS

Since the westerly Jet moves in a wavy form, it creates cyclonic and anti-
cyclonic conditions.

• Anti-cyclonic conditions are developed in the troposphere

over Afghanistan, Pakistan, and north northwestern parts of
India. These conditions result in descending winds over the
northwestern parts of India, leading to atmospheric stability and dry
conditions. This prevents the ascent of winds from the surface.

• Cyclonic conditions develop over the Tibet Plateau, where air rises.

WINTER WEATHER PATTERNS

• In winter, rainfall is low due to stability, while some rains occur due to
western disturbances brought to India by upper-air westerlies or jet
streams. Winds blow from land to sea.

SUMMER WEATHER PATTERNS

• In summer, as the sun shifts from the southern to the

northern hemisphere, the temperature starts rising in the north region of
India. This weakens the south branch of the westerly jet stream, which
gradually withdraws from India by the end of May.

• The equatorial trough pushes northwards with the weakening of the

southern branch, leading to the movement of monsoon winds inside, and

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a burst of monsoon occurs. Hence, the Western Jet Streams have a crucial
role in the onset of the monsoon in India.

TROPICAL EASTERLY JET STREAM

The Tropical Easterly Jet Stream can be explained under the following headings:

POSITION AND HEIGHT OF TROPICAL EASTERLY JET STREAM

• In summer, the Tibetan Plateau starts heating up, becoming a source

of atmospheric heating. This heating generates an area of rising air.

• The ascending air is deflected to the right by the Earth’s rotation and
moves in an anticlockwise direction, creating anti-cyclonic conditions in
the upper troposphere.

EFFECTS OF TROPICAL EASTERLY JET STREAM ON WEATHER CONDITIONS

• Under the cyclonic conditions, the easterly winds that descend over the
Indian Ocean intensify the high-pressure cell known as the Mascarene
High.

• From this high-pressure cell, onshore winds blow towards the thermally
induced low-pressure area in northern India, contributing to the
formation of cyclonic conditions.

• Under the anti-cyclonic conditions, the Tropical Easterly Jet Streams

(TEJ), originating from the Tibetan Plateau, move towards the Indian
Ocean.

• These easterly jet streams are crucial for a strong monsoon in India. They
help develop anti-cyclonic conditions in the upper troposphere and
influence the distribution of monsoon rainfall.

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WINTER WEATHER PATTERN

• The Tropical Easterly Jet Stream disappears with the onset of winter.

• The warming of Tibet and the development of TEJ are crucial for strong
monsoon conditions in India.

SUMMER WEATHER PATTERN

• If Tibet’s warming is less in a given year, the intensity of the monsoon is

also reduced.

• The easterly jet stream helps steer tropical depressions into India, which
play a significant role in the distribution of monsoon rainfall. The tracks
of these depressions are areas of highest rainfall in India.

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JET STREAMS & THE WEATHER

• Jets streams play a key role in determining the weather because they
usually separate colder air and warmer air.

• Jet streams generally push air masses around, moving weather systems to
new areas and even causing them to stall if they have moved too far away.

• Climatologists say that changes in the jet streams are closely tied to global
warming, especially the polar jet streams because there is a great deal of
evidence that the North and South poles are warming faster than the
remainder of the planet.

• When the jets streams are warmer, their ups and downs become more
extreme, bringing different types of weather to areas that are not
accustomed to climate variations. If the jet stream dips south, for
example, it takes the colder air masses with it.

AIR TRAVEL

• Jet streams play a major role in air travel.

• Eastbound flights usually take less flying time than westbound flights
because of help from the fast-moving air.

• Jet streams can contain wind shear, a violent and sudden change in wind
direction and speed, which is a major threat in air travel.

• Wind shear has caused airliners to suddenly lose altitude, putting them in
danger of crashing.

• In 1988, the FAA decided that all commercial aircraft must have wind-
shear warning systems, but it wasn’t until 1996 that all airlines had them
on-board.

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JET STREAMS AFFECTING THE MONSOONS AND THE INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT

• There are different jet streams and in respect of the climate and monsoons
of India, it is the Subtropical Jet Stream (STJ) and the countering easterly
jet that is most important.

• As the summertime approaches there is increased solar heating of the

Indian subcontinent, this has a tendency to form a cyclonic monsoon cell
situated between the Indian Ocean and southern Asia.

• This cell is blocked by the STJ which tends to blow to the south of the
Himalayas, as long as the STJ is in this position the development of
summer monsoons is inhibited.

• During the summer months, the STJ deflects northwards and crosses over
the Himalayan Range. The altitude of the mountains initially disrupts the
jet but once it has cleared the summits it is able to reform over central
Asia.

• With the STJ out of the way, the subcontinental monsoon cell develops
very quickly indeed, often in a matter of a few days. Warmth and moisture
are fed into the cell by a lower-level tropical jet stream which brings with
it air masses laden with moisture from the Indian ocean.

• As these air masses are forced upward by north India’s mountainous

terrain the air is cooled and compressed, it easily reaches its saturation
vapor point and the excess moisture is dissipated out in the form of
monsoon rains.

• The end of the monsoon season is brought about when the atmosphere
over the Tibetan Plateau begins to cool, this enables the STJ to transition
back across the Himalayas.

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• This leads to the formation of a cyclonic winter monsoon cell typified by

sinking air masses over India and relatively moisture-free winds that blow
seaward. This gives rise to relatively settled and dry weather over India
during the winter months.

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