Extreme 2010 Weather Pattern Explained by Physics

Hello all,

The site that I used to find my physics news article was Science Daily. On this site I found and interesting article about an extreme weather pattern that occurred in July of 2010 and has now been explained by physics.

The article explains how the heat wave and drought experienced in Russia in 2010 was also connected to the severe flooding and monsoons that occurred in Pakistan that same year. A stagnant weather pattern called an Omega blocking event developed over a high-pressure ridge above western Russia. This blocking event, which divided the jet stream, had the effect of slowing the Rossby wave and prevented the normal progression of weather systems from west to east. As Earth spins on its axis Rossby waves meander around the globe in a westerly direction. Currents in the center of these waves form the jet streams, fast-moving columns of air that push weather systems from west to east. The event caused high pressure to form over Russia and trap a hot, dry air mass. As the high lingered, the land surface dried and the normal transfer of moisture from the soil to the atmosphere slowed. The blocking pattern also created unusual downstream wind patterns over Pakistan. Areas of low pressure on the leading edge of the Rossby wave formed in response to the high that pulled cold, dry Siberian air into lower latitudes. The shift led to heavy monsoon rains over the northern part of Pakistan.

Overall, the physical interactions of the Coriolis effect and pressure gradients are responsible for our weather patterns. Slight deviations from the normal Rossby waves can have large impacts on the regional weather we experience.



Hope you all enjoyed the presentation,
Stephen La Rosa