I believe that the winds react the same way as water flowing down a stream. When someone throws a object into the flow it creates little swirles that moves along the way of the flow until thet staightenout. This is what I think happens when the shuttle creates when passing through. That's actually an excellent way to look at it. Both air and water are fluids, so they have very similar properties as far as their motion is concerned.
Some kinds make acid rain that kills our plants and fish.
Others cause breathing problems, like smog. Even more cause a decrease in ozone, which protects us from harmful ultraviolet light from the Sun. The most famous jet stream is the Polar Jet Stream. It forms where the cold, polar air meets the warm air from the tropics. The large temperature difference between these two causes a large pressure difference as well.