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Apr 2021
11m 57s

Discovering the Jet Stream

Bbc World Service
About this episode
<p>The Jet Stream is formed by powerful high-altitude rivers of air which circle the globe and help determine our climate. The existence of these winds was first documented in Japan in the 1920s, but only became more widely known during World War Two, when American airmen encounter high-speed winds on bombing missions over Japan. At the same time, the Japane ... Show More
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