Jet Streaks



Jet streaks are regions of strongest winds in the core of the jet stream. They are also called jet maxima. They run along the axis of a jet stream. They can be important in the formation of surface storms as areas of convergence and divergence form around them.

Areas of convergence and divergence tend to form around particular regions in the jet stream. Regions of maximum jet stream winds, called  "jet streaks," involve strong convergence and divergence of winds. Where the wind converges, the pressure exceeds the Coriolis force and the jet is deflected northward, leading to the formation of anticlyconic circulation and a deepening storm. Where the wind diverges, the pressure does not exceed the Coriolis force and the wind is deflected southward, leading to the formation of cyclonic circulation and a building high.

Concept Mapping Toolkit
Insitute for Human and Machine Cognition
The University of West Florida