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Weather and Climate - What Are Jet Streams And When Were They Discovered?

What are jet streams and when were they discovered?

Jet streams are the world's fastest upper-level winds. They are narrow bands of wind that zip through the top of the troposphere in a west-to-east direction, usually at speeds between 80 and 190 miles per hour (129 and 306 kilometers per hour). (The troposphere is the lowest level of the Earth's atmosphere, extending to a height of about 30,000 feet [9 kilometers] above the surface.) Jet streams are usually a few miles deep, up to 100 miles (160 kilometers) wide, and well over 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) long. Jet stream winds have been clocked at a maximum of over 345 miles (552 kilometers) per hour.

Jet streams were discovered by World War II (1939-45) bomber pilots flying over Japan and the Mediterranean Sea. Jet planes, which are capable of flying at the top of the troposphere, take advantage of the jet stream's great speeds.

Jet streams...

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