The Role of Low-Level Jets in Regional Climate Variability and Change

Abstract:

Low Level Jets are ubiquitous features of the global climate system. These “rivers of air” in the lower atmosphere act as a scale transfer mechanism, bridging the larger scale climate variability and change to regionally focused impacts. During the boreal spring and summer, the North American low-level jet (NALLJ) transports copious amounts of momentum, heat, and moisture into central and eastern United States, with significant impacts on regional hydroclimate variability (drought and pluvial), extreme events (tornadic activity), ecology (jellyfish and bird migration), atmospheric constituent transport (ozone), and energy development (wind power). Given the interdisciplinary importance of the NALLJ, its mean state and variability on seasonal to multidecadal timescales will be discussed in a simple framework to stimulate cross-disciplinary thought and discussion with regard to warm season regional climate variability and change.