POLAR VORTEX (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, scientists made the intriguing discovery that the Earth's polar vortex has undergone a mysterious reversal.

Polar Vortex

• About: refers to the circulation of strong, high-altitude winds in the stratosphere during winter in the hemisphere facing away from the sun.
• Emergence: It emerges during winter when the pole is tilted away from the sun, causing darkness and cooling in the polar stratosphere.
• Temperature Dynamics: The cooling of the polar stratosphere in contrast to the warmer tropical stratosphere creates a temperature gradient that drives the polar vortex.
• Formation of Arctic Polar Vortex: The resultant temperature contrast leads to the formation of robust west-to-east winds in the stratosphere, known as the Arctic polar vortex.
• Impacts of Polar Vortex Variability: Under certain weather conditions, the polar vortex can weaken and expand, allowing frigid Arctic air to spill southward into regions unaccustomed to such cold.
• Consequences of Polar Vortex Disruptions: This can trigger extreme cold snaps, snowstorms, and other severe winter weather events in areas like North America, Europe, and Asia.