Noted: A 2012 study by Jennifer Francis of Rutgers University and Stephen Vavrus of the University of Wisconsin suggests Arctic sea ice loss is adding sufficient heat to the atmosphere to change the course of the jet stream, the river of air at high altitudes along which storms track toward the polesand the equator. It suggests the jet stream is slowing down and becoming more wavy, meaning extreme weather patterns may be becoming more persistent.
Office of Strategic Communication