THE POLAR VORTEX AND INEQUITABLE DISASTER AID

written by Sophia Beem

The polar vortex is an area of cold air and low atmospheric pressure that can exist over the Earth’s poles, but usually the North pole, that gains the most strength during the winter. The winds within the vortex swirl counterclockwise and inward towards the North Pole. It’s kept in place by the polar jet stream, a strong river of air that separates the Arctic air from the midlatitudes. The vortex usually does not have much impact on weather beyond the poles.

Changes in temperatures can offset the flow of the jetstream and cause it to meander south, allowing the arctic air from the vortex to plunge south as well. This occurs naturally, but the arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet as a result of climate change, and this warming offsets the jetstream and displaces polar vortex air more often to southern regions. Future warming is likely to further weaken the polar jet stream, leading to more extreme and unusual weather patterns.