Questions and Answers
What is the primary driver of surface ocean currents?
What is the Coriolis effect responsible for in regards to weather patterns?
What is necessary for precipitation to occur?
What are the two main factors that influence climate?
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What is the most common way to cool air?
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What are examples of condensation nuclei?
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What is the boundary between two air masses called?
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What do isobars represent on synoptic charts?
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What do isobars represent on a synoptic chart?
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What is the relationship between the spacing of isobars and pressure gradients?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of ENSO?
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What is the opposite phase of El Niño?
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What serves as condensation nuclei in the process of cloud formation?
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What is the impact of El Niño on global weather patterns?
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What is associated with high pressure areas on a synoptic chart?
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What is the typical frequency of El Niño events?
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Study Notes
Ocean Currents and Weather Patterns
- Ocean currents are primarily driven by the rotation of the earth.
- Surface ocean currents are primarily driven by the wind blowing across the surface of the ocean.
Weather Movement
- Weather generally moves from west to east due to global wind patterns, earth's rotation, and the Coriolis effect.
- The uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the Sun is not a primary reason for weather movement.
Surface Currents
- Surface currents are caused by wind, geographical orientation, and the Coriolis effect.
High-Pressure Systems
- Weather moves clockwise around a high-pressure system, bringing clear weather.
Precipitation
- Precipitation requires condensation nuclei, which can be tiny particles like dust, volcanic ash, or man-made pollutants.
Climate
- The two main factors affecting climate are temperature and humidity.
Cooling Air
- Air can be cooled by contact with a colder surface, rising air, or windward and leeward effects.
Fronts
- The boundary between air masses is called a front.
ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation)
- ENSO is characterized by fluctuations in temperature between the ocean and atmosphere, changes in sea level pressure, and shifts in rainfall distribution worldwide.
Synoptic Charts
- Isobars on synoptic charts represent lines of equal pressure, with closer isobars indicating stronger pressure gradients.
Mitigating El Niño Impacts
- Practical economic steps to mitigate the impacts of El Niño include implementing drought-resistant crop varieties, increasing water storage, and other measures.
La Niña
- La Niña is the opposite phase of El Niño.
El Niño Impacts
- El Niño has a significant impact on global weather patterns, including increased hurricane activity in the Atlantic, drier conditions in Australia and Indonesia, and wetter conditions in the western United States.
Weather Features
- High pressure areas on synoptic charts are associated with clear skies.
El Niño Frequency
- El Niño events typically occur every 5-7 years.
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Description
Learn about the factors driving ocean currents and weather patterns, including the earth's rotation, wind, and the Coriolis effect.
