Earth's polar vortex in Antarctica is set to tear apart. Here's how it will impact planet

The polar vortex of Antarctica is on the verge of splitting in two for the first time in more than two decades because of a sudden increase in stratospheric temperatures.

If the vortex splits into two, it can result in major warming in Antarctica as Australia and South America will witness an unusually hot summer.

The southern polar vortex is a swirl of winds which will move clockwise and trap a cold air current above Antarctica amid the southern hemisphere winter.

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Generally, the vortex remains stable at this time of year and the temperature inside its core remains about -80°C (-112°F).

Antarctic's polar vortex remains unstable, in future it can...

However, the latest signs indicate that the vortex has been increasingly unstable this year.

In mid-July, the southern polar vortex's wind speeds slowed from 300 to 230 kilometres per hour which permitted cold air to descend and led to a record increase in stratospheric temperatures.

Inside the vortex, the temperatures remained nearly 20°C (36°F) above the long-term average of around -80°C.

UK Met Office's Steven Keates said that they recorded another slowdown in wind speed in early August which was followed by a rapid increase in stratospheric temperatures.

“We started to see a marked warming in the very highest layers of the stratosphere,” he said.

Because of this, the vortex was pushed out of its place at the South Pole which resulted in cold polar air at the surface flowing towards Australia, New Zealand and South America and warm air moving towards Antarctica which can result in a heatwave in the continent.

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If the speed of the wind is slow, the vortex can lead to a sudden change in direction and swirl anticlockwise in what is called a sudden stratospheric warming.

"Repeated slowdowns in wind speeds could increase the chances of a vortex split and sudden stratospheric warming taking place this year," said Keates.

Simon Leeat the University of St Andrews in the UK said that comparatively small disruptions to the vortex can lead to a cumulative effect.

“Sometimes minor warmings can set the vortex up for something major later on. Because Antarctic vortex variability is small, if something even slightly unusual happens it can very quickly grow to become an extreme event," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)