A polar vortex is an area of a. high-pressure wind b. low-pressure wind c. high-temperature wind
The polar vortexes a. appear only during the winter b. appear every seven years c. are always there
When the polar winds weaken, temperate regions will likely experience a. warmer winters b. warmer summers c. colder winters
Discussion/essay questions
Has your region experienced any effects of climate change? What are leaders doing about it? Do you think they should be doing more? Why or why not?
Transcript
A polar vortex is an area of low-pressure wind that circulates at the Earth’s poles. The winds of a polar vortex are very high in the atmosphere, and they contain some of the Earth’s coldest air. The northern and southern vortexes are always there, but changes in the winds can affect temperatures around the world. When the winds weaken, they affect lower belts of air called polar jet streams. If a polar vortex is not strong enough to hold the winds in place, the jet stream can grow wide and irregular. Unusually cold winters can happen when jet streams spread cold polar air to more temperate regions. It is possible that climate change will affect the polar vortex by weakening the polar winds over time. This could change the way that many regions experience seasons and create new extreme weather patterns, both hot and cold.
As mentioned above, some of the best ways to help prevent climate change are using less energy, taking public transportation and eating meat less. Have you made any of these changes in your life? What else do you do to help prevent climate change?
Transcript
Climate change is a major problem in the world today. Scientists believe that climate change is mainly caused by an excess of greenhouse gases, like methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide. Humans put these into the atmosphere with our everyday activities. The excess of atmospheric carbon dioxide is caused by burning fossil fuels, which we use to power our cars. Climate change is expected to cause many issues in the future, such as droughts, strong storms, and the loss of ecosystems. Scientists predict that the Arctic ice will be completely melted by 2050. However, there are lots of simple ways to help prevent this. Using less energy, taking public transportation often and eating meat less are all easy ways to fight climate change.
Image credit: Cambridge Dictionary