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.
El Niño is caused by a. human activity b. hurricanes c. weakened winds
During El Niño events, warmer winters occur a. in the north b. in the south c. globally
La Niña is the name for a. changes in air pressure in El Niño years b. a strong type of hurricane over the Atlantic c. the reverse effect to El Niño
Discussion/essay questions
El Niño is a natural phenomenon unrelated to global climate change. However, some scientists predict that El Niño events may become more extreme as temperatures continue to rise. Have you experienced weather changes where you live? What do they look like?
Transcript
El Niño is part of a natural weather pattern that begins in the Pacific Ocean. It happens when the west-travelling winds across the ocean grow weaker, causing surface waters to warm up in the east. This can affect ecosystems, storms, and temperatures around the world. During El Niño years, many northern places experience warmer winters. South American fishermen named the effect “El Niño,” or “the little boy,” after Jesus Christ, because they often observed changes in water temperature before Christmas. El Niño also has a reverse effect, called La Niña, which causes colder winters in the north and stronger hurricanes over the Atlantic. The full name that scientists use for the phenomenon is El Niño/Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. The Southern Oscillation is the change in air pressure connected to El Niño and La Niña. El Niño and La Niña events happen every two to seven years on average.
In 1890, Australian meteorologist Clement Wragge became the first person to use human names to identify tropical storms. He didn’t choose names based on a ; he simply named storms after politicians he disliked. However, the practice of naming storms after people didn’t become until the 1940s, when American meteorologists began to name storms after their wives. Eventually, the World Meteorological Organization developed a system for naming storms. There are lists of hurricane names, assigned alphabetically. Originally, hurricanes were only given names, but since the 1970s, the name lists have included male names as well. The names are often recycled, but if a storm is especially , its name is never used again. Some of these retired names are Katrina, Sandy, and Matthew.
Comprehension questions
[wp_quiz id=”19965″]
Discussion/essay questions
Do you live in a place where hurricanes or other tropical storms happen often?
What do you think you would do to prepare for a hurricane?
Transcript
In 1890, Australian meteorologist Clement Wragge became the first person to use human names to identify tropical storms. He didn’t choose names based on a system; he simply named storms after politicians he disliked. However, the practice of naming storms after people didn’t become common until the 1940s, when American meteorologists began to name storms after their wives. Eventually, the World Meteorological Organization developed a system for naming storms. There are official lists of hurricane names, assigned alphabetically. Originally, hurricanes were only given female names, but since the 1970s, the name lists have included male names as well. The names are often recycled, but if a storm is especially destructive, its name is never used again. Some of these retired names are Katrina, Sandy, and Matthew.
