Re: [Phys-L] Polar Vortex -erratum

["LaMontagne, Bob" <RLAMONT@providence.edu>]

I present the following link purely for entertainment purposes. I know it's lame - but it's related.

http://pjmedia.com/eddriscoll/2014/01/07/time-magazine-swings-both-ways/

BTW, after looking at a few other articles from that era, "polar vortex" back in the 70's appears to be another term for the jet stream - not the polar vortex currently in the news.

Bob at PC
________________________________________
From: Phys-l [phys-l-bounces@phys-l.org] on behalf of brian whatcott [betwys1@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 7:14 PM
To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
Subject: Re: [Phys-L] Polar Vortex -erratum

I would like to retract my assertion that Bob was misinterpreting a NASA
description of the Polar Vortex.    On checking further, I see that
"whirling and persistent large area of low pressure, found typically
over both North and South poles." was indeed present in a text
supporting a picture published by NASA, just as Bob claimed.      It is
hard to claim that the media outlets are running away with a game of
Telephone, when I see the faulty location given in both NASA and
repeated verbatim in phys.org materials. Nevertheless, discussing the
polar vortex as a neologism for the polar high is less than accurate.

Brian Whatcott    Altus OK


On 1/7/2014 2:44 PM, LaMontagne, Bob wrote:
> /snip/
> My point is that the media are running away with this new term with no idea what it actually refers to. They are merely quoting one another and an incorrect concept is now being spread like a game of telephone/snip/
> Bob at PC
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Phys-l [mailto:phys-l-bounces@phys-l.org] On Behalf Of brian
> > whatcott
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 2:29 PM
> > To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
> > Subject: Re: [Phys-L] Polar Vortex
> >
> > On 1/7/2014 10:20 AM, LaMontagne, Bob wrote:
> > > The current buzzword used by the media is "polar vortex". It appears to be a rather recent term, as no meteorology texts refer to it.
> > > NASA explains that the polar vortex is a "whirling and persistent large area of low pressure, found typically over both North and South poles."
> > > A quick perusal of introductory meteorology texts finds reference
> > > instead to the Polar High.
/snip/
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