America this spring. This is due to the loss of Arctic sea ice which appears
to be changing the direction of the jet stream. Scientists have linked the diminished Arctic sea ice to unseasonably cold temperatures and anomalous snowstorms in parts of Europe and North America this spring.
Arctic sea ice hit historic lows last autumn, and this trend is corroborated by current satellite records.
A number of researchers are indicating that the loss of Arctic ice adds heat to the ocean and atmosphere which shifts the position of the jet stream – the high-altitude river of air that steers storm systems and governs most weather in northern hemisphere. Essentially cold air from the Arctic is now working its way much further south than normal.
There is a body of evidence indicating that Arctic temperature rises were linked to extreme weather in mid latitudes.
The US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), also found that enhanced warming of the Arctic influenced weather across the northern hemisphere.
© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.
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