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The 2018–2019 Arctic stratospheric polar vortex
Author(s) -
Lee Simon H.,
Butler Amy H.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
weather
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.467
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1477-8696
pISSN - 0043-1656
DOI - 10.1002/wea.3643
Subject(s) - polar vortex , sudden stratospheric warming , vortex , polar , stratosphere , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , arctic , the arctic , climatology , arctic oscillation , north pole , meteorology , geology , physics , geography , northern hemisphere , oceanography , physical geography , astronomy
The stratospheric polar vortex forms each winter 10–50 km above the surface over the pole, and variations in its strength and position are known to influence the weather we experience. During winter 2018–2019, the Arctic polar vortex was highly variable – with both a sudden stratospheric warming and a strong vortex event. We discuss this unusual evolution of the vortex in terms of climatology and its impacts on surface weather patterns.