So, what’s up with that? Is global warming slowing down? Or going backwards?
We wish that were true! But no. Many conditions affect weather. It so happens that during winter 2010, one of those conditions was a bit unusual.
The condition is the “Arctic Oscillation.”
Here’s what that means. Air moves from one place to another around the world because of air pressure. In some places, the air is thicker, or more dense, than in other places. We say the air pressure is higher. Air moves from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure. That is wind!
The Arctic Oscillation is the movement of air back and forth between the North Pole area and the areas farther south—like down to the middle of the U.S. Sometimes the air pressure is higher in the south so the warmer air pushes north, and keeps the really cold Arctic air in the Arctic. This is called the “positive phase” of the Arctic Oscillation. Other times the air pressure is higher in the Arctic so the cold air moves south. This is called the “negative phase.” The Arctic Oscillation is a little more complicated, but this is basically how it works.
So, what’s up with that? Is global warming slowing down? Or going backwards?
We wish that were true! But no. Many conditions affect weather. It so happens that during winter 2010, one of those conditions was a bit unusual.
The condition is the “Arctic Oscillation.”
Here’s what that means. Air moves from one place to another around the world because of air pressure. In some places, the air is thicker, or more dense, than in other places. We say the air pressure is higher. Air moves from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure. That is wind!
The Arctic Oscillation is the movement of air back and forth between the North Pole area and the areas farther south—like down to the middle of the U.S. Sometimes the air pressure is higher in the south so the warmer air pushes north, and keeps the really cold Arctic air in the Arctic. This is called the “positive phase” of the Arctic Oscillation. Other times the air pressure is higher in the Arctic so the cold air moves south. This is called the “negative phase.” The Arctic Oscillation is a little more complicated, but this is basically how it works.
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