Westerly Winds Could Intensify, Migrate Poleward with Climate Change
Written by AZoCleantechDec 10 2020
The most high-resolution past record of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds has now been developed by polar climate scientists.
The coast of sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Sea spray is washed over the land and into nearby lakes. Image Credit: Dominic Hodgson.
The study findings were published on December 9th, 2020, in the
Communications Earth and Environment journal and explain how the winds could probably strengthen and migrate poleward with the warming climate. The study offers data that will enhance the precision of models that predict the future.
The westerly winds (called the furious fifties, roaring forties and screaming sixties with respect to their latitude) are specifically strong since there is a lack of continental landmasses in the Southern Ocean to reduce their speed.