All weather systems
“Atmospheric autobahn - high-speed wind rivers steering Earth's weather”
Formation
Temperature differences between air masses create pressure gradients
Impact
Steer surface weather systems, create turbulence for aircraft
Technical specs
Wind80-275 mph
RegionsGlobal, separate streams for each hemisphere
elite tier
Famous encounter
Used by Japanese 'Fire Balloon' bombs in WWII to cross the Pacific
Etymology
First identified by Wasaburo Oishi in the 1920s, gained prominence in WWII aviation