Periodic Polar Vortexes

 Recently our national weather news has been filled with meteorological superlatives. We cannot say we weren’t forewarned about the unusual weather which descended upon the US in late January 2026. We have experienced an unusual dose of winter woes, ranging from snow, to sleet, to freezing rain, to wind. This plethora of weather events has brought with it miseries ranging from frozen water pipes, vehicle accidents, flight cancellations and power failures, not to mention human discomfort, injury, and even death. As of this writing citizen human deaths have risen to 34 and counting. 

The United States has endured the most protracted stretch of cold weather in several years. The public tunes in to media weather reports for an explanation. An important term has been introduced to our weather-aware public in the last several decades. It is called the POLAR VORTEX, a feature of the divinely created weather system operating on our planet for thousands of years.

Before discussing specific details of our recent weather woes, we cite several  scripture references from the Old Testament. The Book of Job possesses fascinating scientific insights concerning creation events, behavior of living things, and events from the world of nature, including weather phenomena. This OT book is filled with up to date commentary on scientific issues in a piece of divinely inspired literature composed about 3500 years ago.

Following are two insightful meteorological passages from the Book of Job. They both relate to winter blasts of extremely cold air. 

By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad water are frozen fast (Job 37:10-11 ESV).  From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven? The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen

(Job 38:29-30 ESV).

The destructive winter blasts of January 2026 and several thousand years ago were caused by manifestations of the polar vortex, described initially by scientists in 1853. We copy a paragraph from our 2/17/19 post dealing with Planet Earth’s two polar vortexes:

“There are two types of polar vortexes: tropospheric and stratospheric. Both vortexes consist of air circulating west to east, but differ in their size. Earth’s troposphere is the zone of Earth’s atmosphere where virtually all weather occurs. It hugs the Earth’s surface, ascending to various heights—highest at the equator (12 mi) but not as high at the poles (4 mi). Earth’s stratosphere rests atop the troposphere. Its temperature begins to rise as altitude increases. On occasion, various phenomena contribute to SSW (sudden stratospheric warming) at high latitudes around the poles. As a result the stratospheric polar vortex weakens, sending intensely cold air masses southward. The weaker the stratospheric polar vortex, the more likely we will receive a heavy dose of uncommon and intense cold. Truly intense stratospheric polar vortexes strike the US rarely, perhaps every few years.”

It is ironic that sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) triggers intense cooling at other locations on our planet! This mystery is studied by an army of weather scientists. In addition to the stratospheric polar vortex which was largely responsible for our recent intensely cold weather, other, more familiar weather phenomena made the event even more intense. These phenomena are called the polar jet streams. We might say that an additional polar vortex—the tropospheric polar vortex—locates the jet streams. These moving air streams locate wam/cold and dry/moist air masses and cause them to move. Our changeable yet beneficial weather systems owe their existence to jet streams. “Then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit”  (Leviticus 26:4 ESV).

Job 37-38 refers to other weather wonders such as snow, lightning, and thunder from the dialog between Elihu and God Himself. These verses highlight humanity’s lack of knowledge concerning meteorological wonders which sustain life on Planet Earth.

We sympathize with media meteorologists who attempt to explain not only pleasant, beneficial weather, but also the complexities of unpleasant events such as the tropospheric polar vortex. 

We close with a devotional passage from Rev. 4:11:

“Worthy are you our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (ESV)

   

  

  

Responding to Skeptics

 

Several years prior to our Science/Faith blog’s inception in 2007, your blog author emailed many secular scholars and columnists concerning the viability of our Christian faith and its inherent belief system. My family history supplied a strong affirmation of the truth of the Christian faith and respect for scientific truth. I have retained a large file of emails I wrote to scholars in the academic world and many of the responses they offered in return. The email exchanges served as inspiration for me. Many of the respondents remarked that they valued the dialog and were pleased their readers responded.

We advocate that Christians become pro-active in communicating our faith to fellow citizens, even those who do not operate on our theological wavelength. Hugh Ross, founder of the organization Reasons to Believe, encourages Christians to “Always be ready” to give a defense of our faith: The Apostle Peter counsels, “…But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; but do it with gentleness and respect…” (I Peter 3:15 ESV)

One of the columnists we cited in our opening paragraph was fond of making critical and controversial statements in his writing. I responded to him with my personal commentary, especially when the columnist attacked the Christian faith and Christian leaders. This was an opportunity to put into practice the exhortation of the Apostle Peter (I Peter 3:15). Recently I re-discovered a folder containing copies of the two-way correspondence with this columnist. The packet contained thirty-five letters between us. Our communication continued for three years. 

The columnist expressed bold doubts about a number of issues related to the Christian faith. He felt the Bible contained much “hearsay evidence” concerning the ministry of Jesus Christ and wondered why God’s Son did not produce an autobiography. He questioned how the truth of Christ’s mission is communicated to us in the 21st century. He doubted the inerrancy of Scripture—its factual information and its divine inspiration. He perceived the Bible as an all-too-human production.

My response was “When I was young I believed the Christian gospel…..As I got older I studied a range of apologetic sources on Christianity, along with a rather broad study of science topics…..The Christianity came first, the science knowledge later…..The objective science training I received helped me avoid the ‘company line’ that science and theology are separate realms.” The link between faith and science was established in my mind several years before we formally launched our Science/Faith blog in 2007.  

The Bible makes extraordinary claims concerning miracles. Such claims demand extraordinary evidence. The problem arises when someone insists that hearsay evidence concerning miracles is always unreliable. 

Doubts about the existence of God are difficult to refute. Ultimately, when skeptics insist on evidence of a particular kind we may not be able to offer the type of proof they demand. For example, God created all things (the heavens and the earth) in the beginning. But who created God, my friend queried?  Other questions he raised related to historic Christian colonialism, the Crusades, and other “holy wars” waged in the name of God. He also questioned my belief in divine creationism instead of evolution.

The exchange with the newspaper columnist was generally pleasant and civil. In retrospect, we were able to reinforce the belief that science and faith are allies, not enemies. As we defend this principle, we must do so with gentleness and respect.    

   

 

  

Natural Glory

 Each calendar year provides special examples of natural glory for our Earth, Solar System, and cosmic environment. Some natural displays are “subtle and muted.” Other displays are spectacular and eye-catching. 

We highlight two of the most startling examples of natural glory to appear in 2025. Here is a link to our previous post—“Comet Tales:” https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2025/12/comet-tales.html  The post reports on Comet 3(I) Atlas, a famous comet arriving from far outside our Solar System. It was discovered approaching our planetary system on July 2, 2025 from a distant star in our Milky Way Galaxy. The comet is an example of a “subtle and muted” phenomenon. Only astronomers equipped with powerful telescopes and other equipment may fully appreciate its natural glory.

Comet 3(I) Atlas traveled from a star many light years away. The nearest star other than our Sun is 4+ light years distant. In miles, that distance is over 24 trillion miles. The Milky Way, our home galaxy, is about 100,000 light years wide. A quote from the SETI Institute states Comet 3(I) Atlas’s trajectory, “…suggests that the object may have wandered through interstellar space for millions, if not hundreds of millions of years before encountering our Solar System.”

Another instance of natural glory was the rare display of aurora borealis (northern lights) visible for many Earth residents late this year. These displays were “spectacular and eye catching.” The Sun experiences a solar maximum every 11 years on average: magnetic activity on the sun is at its maximum. Many natural events on Planet Earth are cyclical, repeating regularly over and over. The Creator of heaven and earth has established many cycles in nature as part of the orderliness and predictability of our cosmic environment. We mention a few life-sustaining cycles in our natural world: seasonal cycles, the water cycle, and chemical cycles (carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen cycles). Finally, a cycle related to the recent episodes of northern lights—the solar cycle.

Our Sun displays increased appearances of sunspots every 11 years. Sunspots are visible as small dark spots on the surface of the sun. These dark areas can be seen more commonly at solar maximum. They are more plentiful closer to the sun’s equator as they move with the rotating sun. This year Earth residents were treated to a glorious display of northern lights, visible after dark. Sunspots are a geo-magnetic phenomenon. At solar maximum the sun’s N-S magnetic poles reverse positions.

From the 11/11/25 article in space.com we read, “Wow, the northern lights put on a stunning display last night with auroras reported as far south as Mexico.” During the chaotic magnetic events, the Sun, composed almost completely of plasma, generated strong magnetic bursts known as coronal mass ejections (CME) which travel through space and interact with Earth’s atmosphere. Thus, we are treated to beautiful aurora borealis, better known as the northern lights.

Why do we highlight these two examples of “natural glory? (1) Comet 3(I) Atlas enables us to access information concerning matter created billions of years ago. Our timeless Creator performed many transformational miracles in the distant past. (2) The geomagnetic northern lights event is a stunning contemporary display of God’s handiwork. Scientists are able to describe the phenomenon better than they are able to explain it.  

During the startling aurora borealis light show of 11/11/25, we enjoyed a sky with beautiful hues of violet, pink, green, red, and other colors piercing the darkness of our northern sky. We were reminded of one of our favorite scripture passages: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1 ESV  

  

Comet "Tales"

 

An unusual astronomical event has captured our attention—a visit by a special comet entitled 3(I) Atlas, first spotted in July 2025. The letter “I” indicates its interstellar origin, while the numeral 3 tells us it is only the third interstellar comet ever detected. Atlas is the name of the survey telescope used to discover it.

Comets are composed of frozen gases, dust particles, and sometimes small rock fragments. They are infrequent visitors to our region of the Solar System. Sometimes they are referred to as “frozen snowballs.” They are set in motion by the force of gravity from another passing body. Sometimes they hurtle toward our Solar System and become visible when the sun heats their frozen gases. The comet forms a coma surrounding its nucleus. It also sprouts a tail as it comes closer to radiation from the Sun. The appearance of a comet is a rare visual treat.    

Comets originate from two regions—the Kuiper Belt, and the Oort Cloud. The Kuiper Belt is the source of short term comets. It is a region that begins at the orbit of Neptune and continues somewhat beyond the orbit of former planet Pluto. The Oort Cloud is much more distant and much larger. Astrophysicists believe the Oort Cloud may host up to a trillion long term comets. The Oort Cloud is still considered part of our Solar System. Depending on various estimates, 6000 or more comets have been observed and catalogued. 

Until 2017, all visible comets were believed to originate within our own Solar System.  In 2017 and 2019 the first two extra-solar comets were detected which formed beyond our Solar System. The comet 3(I) Atlas has generated considerable excitement. It came from a star system a great distance from our Solar System.

Our Solar System hosts a star surrounded by planets, their moons, and other bodies, including comets and asteroids. Our home galaxy, the Milky Way, is a spiral galaxy composed of over 100 billion stars. 

Stars, planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, and many other objects in our universe  have been formed or modified by thousands of transformational miracles. Our Science/Faith blog has often categorized three type of miracles: transcendent, transformational, and sustaining. Genesis 1:1 speaks about a transcendent miracle—the creation of “the heavens and the earth.” At that instant, MATTER, ENERGY, SPACE, and TIME were brought into existence. A helpful discussion of different types of miracles can be found in our 11/13/2017 post. Here is a link to that post: 

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2017/11/our-miracle-immersed-planet.html

Comet 3(I) Atlas formed in the region surrounding a neighboring star. There were a few breathless “experts” who speculated the comet was an example of alien technology. Currently, experts pronounce Comet 3(I) Atlas to be a natural phenomenon, not the product of intelligent visitors from an alien world. The nearest star in our Milky Way galaxy is four light years away, an enormous distance within our 100,000 light-year wide galaxy. Our Solar System, including our home on Planet Earth is composed of matter miraculously transformed by our timeless, omnipotent Creator since His initial transcendent creation of “the heavens and the earth.” Comets of all types help us discover the story of creation.

Comet 3(I) Atlas has already passed our Sun and is headed away from our Solar System to continue its journey of billions of years. It is not a periodic comet and it will never return to our cosmic neighborhood. We trust this post inspires readers to study related theological and scientific issues triggered by the arrival of 3(I) Atlas. Extensive web articles supply fascinating detail about our cosmic visitor.     

  

           

  

Devotional Astronomy

 Earth Science teachers are always on the lookout for unusual current events to pique student enthusiasm for their subject matter. In my past teaching experience current astronomical events supplied subject matter to reinforce and amplify classroom discussions and activities.

Before launching a more detailed discussion of devotional astronomical phenomena, let us review several mundane astronomical events. Our populace becomes excited about astronomical terminology describing events such as “super moons.” 

What is a “super moon?” About 2-5 times per year the full moon is classified a “super moon.” The full moons of October 7, November 5, and December 4, 2025 are also considered “super moons.” Full moons occur 12-13 times per year when the sun, earth, and moon are generally in line. At full moon the earth is positioned between the two other bodies. The orbit of the Moon is slightly elliptical—not a perfect circle. Sometimes the Moon is located at perigee, an orbital path which brings the Moon closest to the Earth. The closer Moon appears up to 14% larger and 30% brighter.

The foregoing facts are somewhat esoteric. However, the events may generate fascination and admiration. Another phenomenon is the conjunction, or apparent close approach of planets or other celestial objects in our sky. In one recent conjunction two planets, Jupiter and Saturn, were so close they almost appeared to be one object. One may develop an intellectual exercise to determine the cause of unusual or attractive conjunctions. Two blog posts dealt with this unusual conjunction several years ago:

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2020/12/star-of-wonder-2020.html

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2020/12/signs-in-sky.html

The 2020 conjunction generated considerable excitement. Was the Star of Bethlehem  described in Matthew 2:7-10 making a return visit? Although it is possible that the Creator of All Things could cause a planetary conjunction, it is more likely that planetary and lunar motions are merely random events which inspire fascination, wonder, and worship.

We cite one more past blog post where a science activity inspired a sense of wonder. In order to experience the sense of wonder, in 1997 I invited my astronomy students to arrive at school in morning darkness in order to observe two planets, Venus and Mercury, rising in the dark eastern skies only one or two minutes apart. Venus is a Solar System planet easily observed as a very bright object in our skies. It is relatively close to Planet Earth’s orbit and therefore, easy to observe. Tiny Planet Mercury is closer to the Sun and is often lost in the glare of the Sun. Most people have never observed Mercury. 

https://jasscience.blogspot.com/2008/10/moment-of-worship.html

Humanity in the 21st century may ignore inspiring devotional scripture passages in favor of secular scientific interpretations. The emphasis in the current post is more devotional and less scientific. However, scientific truths can inspire a devotional experience for Christians.

We close with two famous scripture passages which trigger devotional experiences.

“There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory” (I Cor. 15:41 ESV). Authors of Scripture would assign a devotional dimension to similar passages. Another example is found in Psalm 121. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2 ESV)

 

 

  

Food to Save Humanity

 The human race has always been concerned about food security. Scripture passages in the Old Testament speak of famines experienced by OT residents. Many famines were caused by droughts as described in Genesis and other Old Testament books. Famines described in the Bible were sometimes linked to unrighteous actions by humanity as well as natural events such as drought and pestilence. 

In modern times food security is related to the human population explosion. During thousands of years of earth history world population never exceeded one billion. Since the beginning of the 19th century Earth’s population has grown from one billion to the current 8.25 billion. Depending on how world population is graphically presented we could describe the graph line as roughly horizontal for thousands of years but rising dramatically in the last two centuries.

Our last post highlighted the state of Iowa where we now reside and our state’s anticipation of another bountiful autumn harvest. To follow up on that article we call attention to one of the most gifted agriculturalists in the history of humanity. We speak of Norman Borlaug (1914-2009) whose ancestors migrated from Norway in the 19th century. Borlaug’s parents eventually settled in northeast Iowa. Their son, Norman, was involved in agriculture on the family farm early in his life. Ultimately he earned a PhD in plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota.

Norman Borlaug was one of the most gifted humans of all time. His achievements illustrate the truth of a very popular Old Testament phrase taken from the Book of Esther: “…for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14)

Borlaug was invited by the Mexican government to help the country increase their food supply. In this position he developed a semi-dwarf variety of wheat that increased Mexican wheat production six-fold and was also disease resistant. From 1944 to 1963 Mexico transitioned from a wheat importer to a wheat exporter. He was subsequently called by India and Pakistan to help with their national food security problem. Borlaug was known as the “Father of the Green Revolution.” The term Green Revolution is defined by Brittanica as follows: “The Green Revolution was a great increase in the production of food grains, especially wheat and rice, that was driven by the introduction of new, high-yield crop varieties into developing countries, beginning in the mid-20th century.”

We close with several personal recollections. My father was a hybrid seed agent in New York State in the 1940s and 1950s. In retrospect, as a young child I recall him speaking of single cross and double cross hybrid corn. He was echoing research discoveries from the hybrid seed company in Pennsylvania for whom he worked. Decades later, my discoveries concerning Norman Borlaug remind me of those early discussions. Borlaug developed new varieties of grain crops during that time. This gifted man is credited with saving upward of a billion human lives, preventing disastrous famine by increasing the supply of food.  

In the very first chapter of the Bible, the Creator of Heaven and Earth encouraged humanity to “…fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion…” Norman Borlaug subdued the earth and defeated hunger. Subdue means defeat in the context of Genesis 1:28. 

In this context have dominion indicates that one entity, humanity, rules over another entity—plants—using plants to serve humanity by providing nourishment to defeat hunger. We are thankful for the special gifts God imparts to humanity to “subdue…and have dominion.”      

 

  

Harvest Time

 When we view row after row of food products at our nearest supermarket, seldom do we focus on the origin of the agricultural products on display. However, a plethora of neatly packaged food products often triggers a worship experience in your blog author. He was blessed to experience life on a farm as a young child. Our family lived next door to the 150-acre farm purchased by my grandfather in 1927 in central New York State. My personal presence was almost a ‘constant’ as I observed the many dimensions of agriculture on that farm. It was basically a dairy farm supported by plots of corn, wheat, oats, and pasturelands for the farm animals. 

After many decades our family is still ‘connected’ to agriculture. Our 30-home housing development in eastern Iowa is embedded in a semi-rural area surrounded by corn and soybean fields. Iowa ranks second in agricultural productivity in the United States—second only to California. We experience a similar sense of worship when we study agricultural production—from initial soil preparation, planting, various stages of growth, and the current drying down of mature plants preliminary to the harvest.

Last spring the corn fields surrounding our housing development were carefully tended by farmers as they progressed from early spring planting to the oncoming autumn harvest. School children in our neighborhood are privileged to live in this semi-rural area. Their teachers are able to discuss both urban and rural life with their students. In addition, they may have triggered student desire to learn some of the basics of plant development and food production. This would be a far cry from being immersed in most social media activity. We are thankful for the public schools’ offerings of Future Farmers of America (FFA) clubs.

Agricultural crops such as corn thrive under the tender care of farmers. Memories of this care are enriched by our personal past experiences observing crop development from beginning to end. Seeds must be planted in correct soil conditions. Depending on latitude, early plantings could be susceptible to frosts or freezes. During the growing season, droughts or floods could impact crop development. Government agricultural agents advise farmers of the presence of fungal diseases or damage from insects and advice on how to respond to those hazards. Agents advise farmers on appropriate types and application of fertilizer—not too much, not too little. Hungry wildlife could also endanger the crop.

There are many scriptures instructing us concerning wise agricultural practices. Many instructions extol the value of hard, timely work: Proverbs 10:4, 12:11, and 14:23. Other instructions are more scientific from an observational standpoint, such as the regularity of seasons—cold and warm, summer and winter, day and night, seedtime and harvest: Genesis 8:22. Additional advice relates to planting crops in good soil: Mark 4.

Scripture is full of object lessons from the world of agriculture and horticulture. The references are based on our exercise of faith. We close with personal recollections from a memorable family business. My father was immersed in agriculture and horticulture most of his life. From 1951 to 1985, he developed a unique business after moving from New York State to New Jersey. He cleared a 13-acre plot of land on the farm he purchased primarily to raise sweet corn.

For many years our retail customers enjoyed high quality fresh sweet corn. My wife, a   math teacher, and I, a science teacher, worked on the farm during the summer. At our roadside stand we were always intent on giving God the glory for the miracle of plant growth and the challenge of responsible creation care. Accordingly, during the last few years of our business, we distributed a newsletter to our customers entitled “Kernels of Truth.” After discussing a few issues related to successful sweet corn production, we made spiritual applications in our “Kernels” newsletter. We copy two meaningful paragraphs from our last two “Kernels”:

1984: WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN GROWING CORN?

Faith. Jesus Christ spoke of having faith as small as a grain of mustard seed in order to accomplish great things. To watch a tiny seed grow from insignificance to maturity and fruitfulness demands a considerable measure of faith. The same Jesus Christ spoke of an even more significant sphere in which we can exercise our faith when He said, “The true Bread is a Person — the one sent by God from heaven, and He gives life to the world…..I am the Bread of Life.” John 6:33 (The Living Bible) 

     

1985: CLOSING COMMENT

While God has intended for us to have a satisfying life in this temporal sphere, including the best food treats, He has also provided abundantly in the sphere of the eternal. God’s word is fertile with agricultural and gastronomic object lessons. He wants us to have correct priorities. Jesus said, “Do not work for the food that spoils but for food that lasts to life eternal, such as the Son of Man will furnish you; for God the Father has placed His seal of approval on Him.” John 6:27 (Modern Language Version)