Which one of the following statements with regard to Jet stream, an upper level tropospheric wave, is not correct?
[amp_mcq option1=”It is a narrow band of high-velocity wind.” option2=”It follows the wave path near the tropopause at elevations of 8 km to 15 km.” option3=”Jet streams are typically continuous over long distances.” option4=”In summer, the polar front jet achieves its maximum force.” correct=”option4″]
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2017
Statement D is incorrect. The polar front jet stream is strongest during the winter season in each hemisphere. This is because the temperature gradient between the polar regions and the mid-latitudes is steepest in winter, providing the maximum energy difference to drive the high-velocity winds of the jet stream. In summer, the temperature gradient weakens, and the jet stream becomes weaker and typically shifts poleward.
Jet streams are fast-flowing, narrow air currents found in the upper atmosphere (tropopause and lower stratosphere) at altitudes of 8 to 15 kilometers (Statement B). They are characterized as narrow bands of high-velocity winds (Statement A) and extend continuously over long distances around the globe, although their path meanders in wavelike patterns (Statement C).