Atmospheric Circulation PDF

Atmospheric Circulation = Weather and Climate What is Atmospheric Circulation? Atmospheric circulation refers to the global pattern of airflow. vv‘l %b‘k Weather and Climate Equatorial Low-Pressure Belt At the equator, the warm air rises, creating the Equatorial Low-Pressure Belt. Equatori...

Atmospheric Circulation = Weather and Climate What is Atmospheric Circulation? Atmospheric circulation refers to the global pattern of airflow. vv‘l %b‘k Weather and Climate Equatorial Low-Pressure Belt At the equator, the warm air rises, creating the Equatorial Low-Pressure Belt. Equatorial This is a zone of cloudy skies and frequent thunderstorms. Low-Pressure Belt ol fifio\\ Weather and Climate ! Subtropical High-Pressure Belts As the air rises at the equator, it moves towards the poles. Around 30° North and 30° South, the air becomes cool enough and sinks back onto the ground surface, creating subtropical high-pressure belts. Subtropical high-pressure belts This is a zone of clear skies and dry weather Polar High-Pressure Belts Polar HighPressure Belts At the poles, the air is very cold and it sinks, forming polar high-pressure belts. This cold, dense air then flows out towards lower latitudes. Subpolar Low-Pressure Belts Subpolar Low- About 60° North and South, the warm air from the subtropics meets the cold air from the poles, forcing warm air to rise again and forming the subpolar lowpressure belts. Pressure Belts This is a zone of Stormy weather. == Afets — . Weather and Climate Three cells Polar cell 60° N/S to the poles Ferrel cell Between 30° ~ 60° N/s Cell is the circulation of the atmosphere, formed by the . P . _y_ 11Sing warm air and sinking cold air. Hadley cell From the equator up to about 30°N/S Hadley cell Ferrel cell Plar cel = | Weather and Climate Coriolis Force The Coriolis force is In the Northern Hemisphere, the wind is In the Southern the wind is Hemisphere, Trade Winds Polar cell Ferrel cell Northeast trades Southeast trades Between the equatorial low and the subtropical high. Northeast Northern southeast Southern trade winds in the Hemisphere and trade winds in the Hemisphere. Westerlies Polar cell Ferrel cell Westerlies Northeast trades Southeast trades Westerlies Weather and Climate Between the subtropical highs and the subpolar lows. Southwest wind in the Hadley cell Northern Hemisphere and northwest wind in the Southern Hemisphere. Polar Easterlies From the polar highs to the subpolar lows. Polar cell Polar Easterlies Westerlies Northeast trades Southeast = Ferrel cell Northeast wind in the Northern Hemisphere and Hadley cell Southeast wind in the Southern Hemisphere. Global Distribution of Rainforests The global distribution of rainforests is primarily within the tropics (within the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn; around 0° latitude). WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION OF TROPICAL RAINFORESTS 180° 120° 60° 0 60° 120° 180° = ARCTIC OCEAN f : 30° PACIFIC OCEAN % -AMERICA ASIA < - EUROPE " NORTH ATLANTIC QoA . AFRICA ) \ w l0° Equator ATLANTIC : OCEAN 30 INDIAN , OCEAN ) AUSTRALIA X PACIFIC OCEAN SOUTHERN OCEAN ANTARCTICA m i © Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Principal regions where tropical rainforest is the natural vegetation 60, Scale by latitude 307 8 ],2‘1’8 §ggg ;""', Global Distribution of Deserts The global distribution of desert is primarily within the subtropics (around 30° latitude). Weather and Climate Homework ¢ Answer the following question in your Homework Book: e %bfi\ Describe the global distribution of rainforest and the reasons behind. Weather and Climate Homework ¢ Answer the following question in your Homework Book: e %bfi\ Describe the global distribution of deserts and the reasons behind. Weather and Climate