Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
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The US is experiencing severe winter storms, affecting over 60 million people, with temperatures potentially dropping as low as -50°C (-60°F). The cause is the polar vortex, a mass of extremely cold air that has expanded southward from the Arctic, impacting the Northern Hemisphere.
- What is the Polar Vortex? The polar vortex is a low-pressure area of cold air that surrounds the Earth’s poles. It spins anticlockwise, with winds reaching speeds of up to 155 mph (250 km/h). There are two types: tropospheric (affecting weather patterns) and stratospheric (higher altitude, forming in autumn and dissipating in spring).
- Factors Affecting the Polar Vortex: The vortex can weaken when warm air from lower atmospheric layers rises, caused by weather patterns or climate phenomena.
- Frequency and Impact: The polar vortex is a seasonal event, but not guaranteed every year. The 2013-14 polar vortex brought record low temperatures, leading to widespread snow and ice coverage, with Lake Michigan freezing over by 93.3%.
- Climate Change and the Polar Vortex: Climate change may weaken the polar vortex by reducing temperature differences between the North Pole and mid-latitudes, causing more frequent cold air outbreaks into southern regions.