21. Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ Flashcards
Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
Thermal energy is redistributed on the surface of the earth by which 2 methods
- ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
- OCEAN CIRCULATION
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
What is the name of the 3 cells that form the wind belts in each hemisphere of the Earth;
[ ] Hadley
[ ] Ferrel
[ ] Polar
[ ] Tropical
[ ] Antarctic
[X] Hadley
[X] Ferral
[X] Polar
[ ] Tropical
[ ] Antarctic
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
The majorit of the atmospheric motion of wind occurs within which cell?
[ ] Hadley
[ ] Ferrel
[ ] Polar
[X] Hadley
[ ] Ferrel
[ ] Pola
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
Given that the vast bulk of atmospheric motion occurs in the Hadley Cell;
- A band of POLAR or TROPICAL convection and rain can be expected at the equator
- Winds converge to the equatorial trough from the NORTH EAST AND SOUTH EAST or NORTH WEST AND SOUTH WEST
- The trade winds, associated to a band of high pressure, sits at around lattitude 30° or 60°
- The trade winds will typically bring DRIZZLY AND WET or FINE AND DRY weather
- TROPICAL
- NORTH EAST and SOUTH EAST
- 30°
- FINE and DRY
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
- From which direction would you expect winds to blow on the polar side of the high pressure systems associated with the cells
- These winds would bring with them a band of travelling LOWS or HIGHS
- Closer to the poles, you would expect SNOW or RAIN from the arctic front
- The polar front would bring GOOD or BAD weather
- WESTERLY
- BAND OF LOWS
- SNOW
- GOOD
Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
Refer to the following diagram. This represents which time of year, JANUARY or JULY
JANUARY
- The ITCZ is favouring the south
- It is the Southern Hemispheres Summer
- This leaves the Northern Hemisphere colder, making the air more dense
- Denser air is heavier, so higher pressure over cold land surface in NH
- Lower pressure over large land surfaces in the SH
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
Refer to the following diagram. This represents which time of year, JANUARY or JULY
JULY
- The ITCZ is favouring the Northern Hemisphere
- It is the NH summer, and SH winter
- The large land masses in the NH will warm the air, making it less dense so forming low pressure
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
In January, betwen what latitudes woudl you expect to be associated with travelling lows; ____° to ____°
40° to 60°
Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
What is the high pressure system known as that dominates the North Atlantic in the summer
AZORES HIGH
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
What is the high pressure system known as that dominantes the land mass over Russia in the winter
SIBERIAN HIGH
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
A weak low pressure can be associated with Canada in JANUARY or JULY
JULY
Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
- The “horse latitudes” are associated with HIGH or LOW pressure
- Winds are known to be STRONG or SLACK
- HIGH
- SLACK
- The term was derived from sailors who would resort to eating their cargo (horses) due to getting stuck in areas of low winds
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
The Westerlies winds are associated with latitudes between ____° and ____°
30° to 50°
- On the polar side of highs, winds diverge and turn out towards the polar fronts
- They join travelling lows to become a band of moderate strong westerlies
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
The trade winds are associated with latitudes bewteen ____° and ____°
30°N and 30°S
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
The sort of weather associated with the trade winds;
- The clouds will be SMALL CU or LARGE CU or SPRAWLING STRATUS
- Cloud tops will limit around 5,000 or 8,000 or 10,000 feet
- Winds will be approximately 15 or 20 or 35 kts
- Up to 500 hPa (18,000 ft), the air will be MOIST or DRY
- Over 500 hPa (18,000 ft), the air will be MOIST or DRY
- SMALL CU
- 8,000 ft
- 15 KTS
- MOIST
- DRY
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
Approximately what month of the year will the ITCZ begin to retreat southwards
AUGUST
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
Around August time, the ITCZ starts to retreat southwards following the sun as the seaon changes. The airflow over West Africa;
- Will be DRY or WET
- Will bring HAIL or DUST
- Will blow from the NE or NW
- What is the name of the wind associated with this wind over West Afirca
- Visibility will be GOOD or BAD
- Moisture picked up in the jungle and blown off short between Gambia and Sierra Leone will create RADIATION or SEA fog
- DRY
- DUST
- NE
- HARMATTAN
- BAD
- SEA
- The airflow will be dry, dust, NE wind from Sahara called the Harmattan
- This brings dry weather but with poor visibility to main inland areas
- Moisture picked up in the jungle is transported and forms sea fog as it runs offshore over the cold canaries current
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
The Doldrums will only exist when the ITCZ is near what geographic location
EQUATOR
Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
In January, as a result of converging winds having to corss the equator to reach the ITCZ, this will;
- Have what effect on the wind direction in context of Coriolis forces
- Will create over South America and South Africa what sort of weather
- CORIOLIS FORCES REVERSE
- THUNDERSTORMS
- Where the converging winds have to corss the equator to reach the ITCZ, as in South Americah and South Africa, they will turn as the coriolis forces reverse
- This long track and heating from below will produce a lot of convective activity, CB, thunderstorms and rain
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
In the Far East, as the ITCZ retreats southernly following the sun in the later months;
- The Subtropical highs are replaced with the SIBERIAN HIGH or AZORES HIGH
- As the subtropical highs are replaced, the wind starts as WARM, WET, AND UNSTABLE or COLD, DRY, AND STABLE
- By the time the winds reach the seas south of Hong Kong, around 20° latitude, they change to be STABLE or UNSTABLE
- This will result in what weather phenomonen
- SIBERIAN HIGH
- COLD, DRY, AND STABLE
- UNSTABLE
- NORTHEAST MONSOON
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Global Weather -Low Level Winds, Fronts and the ITCZ
As the ITCZ retreats southernly following the sun in the later months, on the polar side of the sea-based sub-tropical highs;
- The winds will be WARM, DAMP, AND STABLE or COLD, DRY, AND UNSTABLE
- This will bring FINE WARM WEATHER or STORMY WINDY WEATHER to the Cape of Good Hope off of Australia in the SH, and to the Azores, Portugal and California in the NH
- In January, the Westerlies in the polar front regions of the NH are associated between ____ and ____ in the North Atlantic
- In January, the Westerlies in the polar front regions of the NH are associated between ____ and ____ in the North Pacific
- In January, the Westerlies are blown around the globe at around ____° to ____° known as the “Roaring Forties”
- WARM, DAMP and STABLE
- FINE WARM WEATHER
- FLORIDA and UK
- JAPAN and VANCOUVER
- 40° to 45°
- On the polar sides of the sea-based sub-tropical highs the winds will be warm, damp and stable - Tropical Maritime - and this will bring fine warm weather to southern Australia, the Cape of Good Hope in the Southern Hemisphere, and to the Azores, Portugal and California in the northern.
- The westerlies in the polar front regions can be seen, crossing the North Atlantic from Florida to the UK and the North Pacific from Japan to Vancouver, while in the Southern Hemisphere they blow as the Roaring Forties straight around the globe at 40°S to 45°S.
- Higher wind speeds will develope in the large tracts of open ocean in the souther hemisphere below 40°S
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