Global Heat Budget
Does the amount of energy which is received by the Sun change during the year?
How is wind produced, created, made, originate from?
Difference in PRESSURE
Difference in temperature in the atmosphere - creates moving air regions, thus creating difference in pressure and moving air from HIGH to LOW pressure.
How is low pressure created?
Air is leaving the area (hot air rising) over equator and 60* north/south, creating a low pressure (below 1013mb) condition
What winds come together (converge) at the equator?
ITCZ
I - inter (the middle, inbetween)
T - Tropical (warm region) between 23.5 degrees N/S
C - convergence (come together)
Z - zone (area or region)
What are the prevailing winds for Montville (40 degree north - mid latitudes)
Westerlies (moving from the 30 degree high towards the 60 degree low)
What is the purpose of cells and winds in our atmospheric system?
To transport heat from the equator towards the poles
Why are the jet stream wind so fast?
They do not have anything applying friction to the winds and they move undisturbed and only change speed due to the different pressure gradients between the cells, seasonal changes.
What is the rule for air pressure and direction of air flow?
Air moves from high pressure to low pressure (equal)
What is the starting point of all our global wind system?
Differential heating of the EQUATOR (hot) and polar regions are colder
Why are the 30 degree latitude called the HORSE latitudes?
17th & 18th century sail boats would lose wind over this latitude as they transport people, goods, and horses to and from the NEW world. Food and water would be used up and they would turn to the horse as nourishment to survive.
Despite radiation concentration, what other aspects of the polar regions causes a reduction in temperatures?
Albedo and reflected energy off the 'lighter colored surfaces'
Explain the location of the strong sub-polar jet stream?
Towards the tropopause 5-7 miles above the ground, between the polar and ferrel convective cells.
What is the term used in class to describe the effect of a LOW pressure system?
Vacuum cleaner (drags air in)
What are the winds called when they move from the east and go towards the west?
Easterlies
What happens to the air creating the 'doldrums'?
Air over 0-10 degrees latitude N/S is rising due to higher surface temps and ascending into the Hadley cell. No wind is moving over the surface at this latitude.
What is the area around the equator which is heated more than the poles?
Equatorial region (tropics)
Jet streams flow from which direction, to what direction?
From - WEST
To - EAST
How do you create fast winds?
Have a large pressure gradient between the low and high pressure areas on the surface. Winds would be dragging in quicker to a stronger low pressure system (below 960mb).
What is the reason for winds moving from the west between 30-60 degree N/S?
30 degree high pressure belt forcing air towards 60 degree low pressure belt.
Why is the antarctic winds so cold?
Air is descending from the tropopause and descending over 90 degree south, however its not heating up at the surface as antarctic temps can plummet to -60C to -100C and therefore keeps the wind and air extremely cold.
Why is climate change hard to detect in our atmospheric system?
Large scale, long term changes and delicate balance between pressure, energy absorption and cause and effect relationship.
What effect does the jet streams in each hemisphere have on surface pressure and weather conditions?
Strong upper level winds created by a difference in air pressure, controls the surface conditions - wind, low and high pressure at the surface
How is a pressure gradient created?
A difference in atmospheric pressure over a given distance
1050mb pressure area (high) - 900mb pressure are (low)
air (wind) will move from the area of HIGH pressure towards the are of LOW pressure
The larger the difference in pressure between the High and Low the faster/stronger the winds will be - a larger pressure gradient (slope)
Which is the primary cause and effect for creating the polar easterlies?
Cold sinking air over the polar regions (90-75 degrees) descends over the poles to push the air towards the persistent 60 degree low pressure belt.
What winds would you expect at the arctic circle?
66.5 degree north - polar easterlies, wind going toward the 60 degree low pressure