Global Atmospheric Circulation Flashcards
What degrees across the Earth’s surface do the cells meet?
30 degrees and 60 degrees and at the Equator.
What are the global atmospheric circulation loops known as and what are their names?
Cells. There is the Polar cell, Ferrel cell and Hadley cell.
What pressure does rising air produce?
Low pressure.
What pressure does falling air produce?
High pressure.
At the equator, is it low pressure or high pressure?
Low pressure.
What order do the cells go in (starting from the North Pole)?
Polar, Ferrel, Hadley, Hadley, Ferrel, Polar
At the centre Hadley cells, how does the cool air spread?
It spread to both poles and the equator.
What are winds blowing to the equator called?
Trade winds.
What happens to the trade winds at the equator?
The sun heats then and they rise as clouds, creating low pressure?
What are winds blowing towards the poles called?
Westerlies.
Where do trade winds blow from?
The SE in the Southern Hemisphere and the NE in the northern hemisphere.
Where do westerlies blow from?
The SW in the northern hemisphere and the NW in the Southern Hemisphere.
Why does cold air fall?
It is more dense than warm air.
What are surface currents in the ocean caused by?
Winds.
What do surface currents do? What are examples?
They transfer heat away from the equator m. An example is the Gulf Stream which brings warm water from the Caribbean to Western Europe.
