Based on data from ESA’s Aeolus wind mission, the image shows how the polar vortex in the lower stratosphere changed between 1 December 2020 and 1 February 2021. The first few plots at the beginning of December show the vortex in a comparatively normal state, but in mid-December patches of blue wind appear, and the wind is going westwards relative to normal conditions.
Read full story: Aeolus shines a light on polar vortex