By: Sabrina Yang, Paleesa Kapoor, Kevin Lau, Shraddha Subash & Dorismar Cuevas How do you think climate change is fueling the especially severe polar vortex in the South and Midwest? Sabrina: I believe that global warming is the root cause of this severe polar vortex because we know that the Arctic is warming at a speed double that of the rest of the world, which means that many glaciers have shrunken and significant amounts of ice have melted. In addition, with less sea ice to reflect solar radiation, the warmer the Arctic waters are getting, thus causing clouds of warmer air that may trigger the polar vortex. Without addressing these issues caused by climate change, our world will continue to be affected by these harsh conditions and crumble, which is why we must take action and spread awareness about these environmental issues caused by climate change. Paleesa: I think climate change is to blame for fueling the severe polar vortex in the South and Midwest. The implications of the climate crisis are warming higher latitudes and reducing the temperature difference between the warmer mid-latitude and polar regions. This weakens and destabilizes the polar jet stream, causing it to dip into lower latitudes, bringing polar air farther into areas like the South and Midwest. Kevin: Climate change has affected the way a polar vortex operates, especially in the South and Midwest. The increase of temperature on the planet has caused loss of Arctic ice, leading to a darker surface which absorbs more heat. This destabilizes the polar jet stream which ultimately brings cold air farther south. It is expected that if this continues, habitants can expect more extreme and unusual weather. It is important to recognize and address these harsh conditions to provide stability to the ecosystems in the area. Politicians and leaders can help battle the issue by providing more funding to climate change initiatives and raising awareness to the public. Shraddha: As we may know, climate change often propels extreme weather and natural disasters. With increased temperatures and higher sea levels worldwide, the result has left more precipitation in various areas. With more precipitation, especially during colder months, the severe weather often takes locals by surprise and leaves them quite devastated. In Texas, snowfall and freezing winters are not common instances. Because the severe weather was uncommon, many locals suffered: the snowstorm resulted in broken pipes, loss of electricity, and even homes going up in flames from people trying to stay warm but not operating fireplaces properly. Climate change is a worldwide problem that not only affects colder areas by making them warmer; the opposite is also true. Dorismar: What keeps the naturally occurring polar vortex stable is the polar jet stream that keeps cold air from moving south. This jet stream is maintained thanks to the Earth’s rotation and the temperature differences between the North Pole and lower regions; however, these temperature differences are disrupted because of climate change. The rising temperatures have not only caused the polar ice to melt and sea level rise among others, but it has made the temperature differences among the regions decrease, destabilizing the jet stream that keeps the polar vortex in the North Pole. This disruption brings extreme weather in unexpected areas, like the recent snow storms in the South, where the below zero temperatures are quite unusual. I think climate change is fueling this chain reaction of not only extreme hot weather but also extreme cold conditions.
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11/17/2022 04:38:08 am
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