Chapter 3 - Atmospheric Pressure and Winds Flashcards
The weight of column of air at a given place and time is called ________
Pressure
The international standard pressure unit is the ________
Pascal
The mean atmospheric pressure at sea level is ________
1013.25 mb
The columnar distribution of atmospheric pressure is known as
Vertical distribution of pressure gradient
The normal rate of decrease in air pressure is ________
34 mb/ 300 m
The distribution of atmospheric pressure over the globe is known as ________
Horizontal distribution of pressure
The ratio between pressure difference and the actual horizontal distance between the two points.
Pressure gradient
This belt is also known as the doldrums (the zone of calm) due to virtual absence of surface winds
Equatorial Low Pressure Belts
a.k.a ITCZ
Equatorial low pressure belt
the existence of these pressure belts is due to the fact that the rising air of the equatorial region is deflected towards pole due to the earth’s rotation
sub-tropical high pressure belts
The worldwide system of winds is called
General Atmospheric Circulation
Horizontal movement of air is in response to difference in pressure is termed as _______
Wind
Describes the pattern of deflection taken by objects not firmly connected to the ground as it travel long distances around and above the earth
Coriolis Effect
This cell creates some of the most important weather patterns on earth. As air rises and travels northward to the east, it eventually falls around 30. Where this air descends, it creates a ring of high atmospheric pressure
Hadley Cell
In this cell, air converges at low altitude or ascends along the boundaries between polar air and the warm subtropical air
Ferrel Cell
air sinks over the highest latitudes and flows out towards the lower latitudes at the surface
Polar Cells
This type of wind blows from high pressure belts to low pressure belts in the same direction throughout the year
Planetary wins
The winds that move poleward from subtropical high pressure in the northern hemisphere are deflected to the right and this blow from the south west.
Westerly
The winds that blow from sub-tropical high pressure areas towards equatorial low pressure areas
Easterly
This wind blow from polar regions towards sub-polar low pressure regions
Polar easterly
The direction of these winds changes with the season
Periodic Winds
A seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing, or strongest winds of a region
Monsoon Winds
This type of winds is caused by the differences in air temperature. The temperature differences often develop through the sun
Local Winds
Any wind characterized by intense heat and low relative humidity
Hot winds
Wind which may blow very strongly over the northern plains of India and Pakistan in the months of May and June
Loo
Warm, dry, downslope wind that descends on the eastern slope of the Rocky mountains. Strong westerlies aloft flow over a north-south trending mountain range,
Chinook
Strong, dusty warm local wind which develops on the leeward side of the alps mountain ranges
Foehn
The local winds that originate in the snow-capped mountains during winter and move down the slopes towards the valleys
Cold Winds
The most common local winds and originate on the Alps and more over France towards the Mediterranean Sea through Rough Valley. They are very cold, dry and high velocity winds
Mistral
A line connecting points that have equal values of pressure
Isobars
Change in pressure is referred to as
Pressure Gradient
