2.2 Global energy budget Flashcards
Anticyclone
High pressure system
Aspect
Direction in which a slope faces
Continentality
Climate characteristic of a continental area. Having very hot summers and very cold winters.
Coriolis effect
Effect that causes any body that moves freely with respect to the rotating earth. Right in the northern hemisphere and left in the southern.
El Nino
Abnormal warming of surface waters in the east equatorial Pacific Ocean due to climatic disturbances around the world.
Frontal rainfall
Rain formed when warm air is forced to rise over denser cold air when two different air masses meet at front.
General Circulation Model
Model of the general circulation of atmosphere based on convection.
Jet Streams
Fast flowing currents of air found near the tropopause. Major ones are meandering westerly winds.
Pressure (air)
Refers to pressure at any point on the Earth’s surface that is due to the weight of air above it.
Prevailing wind
The direction from which the wind is blowing from.
Thermohaline circulation (THC)
Ocean conveyor belt. Deepwater ocean convection current that moves cold water at depth from polar areas.
