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Find the answers to the following questions by clicking on the links beneath.

Travelling about 7 miles above the earth, jet stream winds push airplanes, hot air balloons, weather systems, and anything else located that high in the sky.

1. In which direction does the jet stream typically flow?
   http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wjstream/wjstream.htm
   http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wjet/wjet.htm

   Did you know that... Rotation of the Earth creates jet stream winds which: flow 7 miles above the earth range in speed from 57 mph -250 mph are “surfed” by hot air balloonists trying to circle the globe help airplanes save fuel and decrease flight time when flying east

2. What types of air masses do jet streams separate?
   http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cyc/upa/jet.rxml

3. Where is the jet stream located in the U.S. today? What does this tell you?
   http://squall.sfsu.edu/crws/jetstream.html
   http://www.weatherimages.org/data/imag192.html
   http://www.wunderground.com/US/Region/US/JetStream.html
   

4. How does the shape and location of the jet stream help to predict the weather?
   http://www.usatoday.com/weather/wzonal.htm
   http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wtrough/wtrough.htm
   http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wridge/wridge.htm
   

5. Where are jet streams typically located around the globe. (The jet streams are red lines on the following site.)
   http://www.srh.noaa.gov/srh/jetstream/global/jet.htm http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es1906/es1906page03.cfm

6. Why are jet streams located there? (Hint: also review your answer to question #1)
   http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wglobale/wglobale.htm
   

7. Why are the jet stream winds faster during the winter months?
   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/balloon/science/jetstream.html
   (Hint: Scroll down to the “How Fast?” section)

8. What is a jet streak? How does it affect weather?
   http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wjet/wjet.htm
   

9. In March of 1999, two balloonists, Brian Jones of Britain and Bertrand Piccard of Switzerland, rode a jet stream across the Atlantic Ocean in their quest to be the first team to soar around the world in a balloon without stopping. How did the jet stream help them on their quest?
   http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/balloon/science/jetstream.html