Question

As a component of the planetary-scale upper-air westerlies and similar to the winds at 500 mb, the polar-front jet stream steers low-pressure systems. Hence, middle-latitude storms generally move from ________.

a) West to East
b) East to West
c) North to South
d) South to North

Answer 1

Middle-latitude storms generally move from west to east, influenced by the jet streams and the Coriolis force, which steer these weather systems across the globe.

Step-by-step explanation:

In relation to the movement of middle-latitude storms under the influence of the polar-front jet stream, middle-latitude storms generally move from west to east.

The jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmosphere around 10 kilometers above the surface of the Earth. They form at the boundaries of adjacent air masses with significant differences in temperature, such as the polar regions and the warmer air to the south. With the help of the Coriolis force, which is due to the Earth's rotation, the winds are deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, leading to the counterclockwise rotation of low-pressure systems and playing a crucial role in the eastward movement of weather patterns.

Consequently, the jet streams are instrumental in steering the low-pressure systems and their associated weather events across the globe, thus influencing local weather patterns.