Recent research by Valerie Truett, professor at the University of Arizona, has revealed a surprising link between the European air stream and climate patterns over the past 700 years. During a summer trip to Belgium, Troyes noticed an unusual weather pattern: while central and northern Europe experienced cool and cloudy conditions, southern Europe, especially places like Italy and the Balkans, where the climate is hot and dry. This discovery led to a great deal of scientific research. At the U of A’s Tree Ring Research Lab, Truett and his team used tree rings to recreate ancient patterns of the jet stream. Jet streams are high-speed winds in the upper atmosphere, and their north-south movement affects the weather across Europe. As the jet stream moves north, northern Europe will experience cooler and wetter conditions, while southern Europe will experience warmer and drier air. Instead, the southward shift will result in warmer conditions in northern Europe and cooler, wetter air in the Mediterranean. By examining the tree rings, the team was able to map the movement of the jet stream over the past 700 years.
They found that the location of the aqueduct was linked to social events in the past, including epidemics such as the Black Death in the 15th century. As the aqueduct was in the north, the wet conditions in the British Isles helped spread the disease because people were forced to stay indoors. The study shows an increase in the northward moving air stream, a situation that will worsen as the world warms. Truett’s findings suggest that continued migration will lead to overharvesting, extreme weather and forest fires, as is the case today in the Balkans. This research provides a better understanding of how past air flow patterns can help predict future climate patterns, and highlights the need for better climate models to predict and reducing the effects of global change.