GEO 155 1st Edition Lecture 7 Outline of Last Lecture I Atmospheric Forces and Its General Circulation Outline of Current Lecture I General Circulation of the Atmosphere a Pressure and Winds on a Smooth Uniform Earth i Surface Winds in Middle and High Latitudes ii Circumpolar Vortex and the Jet Stream b The Real World i Land Sea Contrast ii Seasonal Changes II Moisture in the Atmosphere a Hydrologic Cycle Current Lecture General Circulation of the Atmosphere Mid latitude Westerlies Located above the sub tropic highs In the Northern Hemisphere winds deflect to the right In the Northern Hemisphere winds deflect to the lef Polar Easterlies There is a high pressure gradient at each of the poles At the North Pole winds deflect to the right These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute At the South Pole winds deflect to the lef Circumpolar Vortex There are a series of low pressure cells in between the high pressure of the mid latitude westerlies and the poles Winds blow parallel to the isobars Winds blow west to east o Same direction in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere The Jet Stream Between 70 degrees latitude low pressure and 30 degree latitude high pressure Wind here is stronger and faster Zonal pattern when winds in the Jet Stream blow straight Meridional pattern when winds in the Jet Stream blow in a curved pattern Land Sea Contrast Water is conservative meaning it does not change temperature as quickly as land surface does 1 2 3 Water has a high heat capacity Water circulates Water evaporates Radiation penetrates through water High pressure pushes down at the surface Air at the ITCZ tries to rise High pressure is reduced over the continents at 30 degrees latitude a Isobars at the ocean at 30 degrees latitude enclose so that there is a center of high pressure anti cyclonic i These winds add to the mid latitude westerlies and the easterly trade winds b Isobars curve depending on the temperature of the land and water in the pressure gradient Seasonal Shifts Warm air expands towards the tropics Cold air from the poles contract downwards Lack of land in Southern Hemisphere results in more zonal patterns and less seasonal changes Moisture in the Atmosphere Hydrologic Cycle The cycle of water Water evaporates from the ocean Water vapor rises to the atmosphere Vapor condenses to give us clouds Water returns to ocean or onto land which returns to the sea o Vapor to saturation maximum vapor to condensation vapor becomes liquid water drops or solid crystals to precipitation falls back to the surface
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