Wind is 30 degrees to the right of PGF. Friction is opposite of the wind. Coriolis is perpendicular to PGF.
geostrophic balance (describe)
PGF is opposite of coriolis and wind is perpendicular to them
what slows wind and where does this happen & not happen
friction slows wind and it happens in ageostrophic not geo.
how does density change with height
decrease as the height goes up
the higher the density the faster something will change temp
larger temp after a day of sun (land or water)
LAND, lower specific heat
what is specific heat
the amount of energy needed to change the temp one degree
SO, higher the capacity the more energy needed to change the temp
a force over an area
and it always decreases with height
direction of rotation for highs and lows in the northern hemisphere
Highs- clockwise and winds go out
Lows- counterclockwise and winds come in
and it is opposite in the southern hem.
more pressure takes up more air
Hadley cell (describe the cycle)
air warms at tropics, becomes less dense and rises. clouds and rain form as the air rises and moves away from the equator. moves & cools and dries (due to rain). due to the cooling it descends into deserts to warm them. product of divergance
land/sea breeze (please picture in your mind!)
sea breeze means the land will be warmer. the cycle reverses at night meaning sea will be warmer.
change in force over distance
where is the wind strongest
where there are more isobars
pressure gradient force
the force that results from a pressure gradient
winds always travel from ____ to ____
HIGH to LOW
coriolis is zero where?
low pressure coming together at the ground and going up
low pressure coming together up high and coming down to earth and spreading out to make a high pressure
intertropical convergence zone (I.T.C.Z.)
the region where two trade winds come together near the equator
polar cells (describe cycle)
much like a hadley cell BUT starts at the poles with cold air which is dense so it sinks and moves towards the tropics, then warms and returns. is because of divergance
product of polar and hadley cells. caught between the two, some air is trapped and circulates into a ferrel cell. is formed through convergence (low pressure)
gerneral circulation of earth's atmosphere
all three cells (hadley, ferrel, polar) as they circulate in a sort of 3 lobed figure 8. the circulation shifts as the seasons change
winds at the earth's surface vary due to
coriolis and changes in pressure
the names of the trade winds are very obvious so use your brain
motha' fuckin big waves!!
what is a front?
the boundary between air masses
fronts collide but do not move very much/at all. rather weak.
name the four types of fronts
warms air goes up and over the colder air. can form frontal fog.
cold air PLOWS into warm air and pushes it up and out of its way
air masses (names and locations)
arctic (like above canada!!!)
c. polar (over land!!!)
m. polar (over the water)
m. tropical (ditto)
WE GO TO MADISON.... FIGURE IT OUT
front that separates air masses with different densities.
forms over a center of low pressure
-cool dry meets warm moist
-swirl together, cold moves much faster
front that forms when the cold air mass has almost caught up to the warm air mass
boundary between cold air mass moving equatorward with the polar easterlie winds
any center of low pressure
the height of a pressure surface
line of constant temperature
line of constant pressure
line of constant temperature
what is a jet?
a really fast plane!!!
nooooo, ribbion of fast moving air in the atmosphere
if there was no temp gradient there would be no.....
there would be no PGF, all temps would be the same, no wind
rosspy waves arrrrre?
the vertical troughs and ridges in the jet stream
lows are the troughs and highs are the ridges
how do cyclones form???
convergence or low pressure at the surface, divergence aloft, vorticity and topography
how do cyclones intensify?
convergence or low pressure at the surface brings air together, divergence aloft pulls air away from the surface, the pressure continues to lower
how do cyclones decay?
convergence or low pressure at the surface brings air together, divergence aloft pulls air away from the surface,
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