Global Atmospheric Circulation - Hazardous Earth Flashcards
What does weather mean?
The condition of the Earth’s atmosphere over a short period of time e.g. hours, days, weeks, years, decades)
What does climate mean?
How the Earth’s atmosphere ‘behaves’ over a long period of time
What does latitude mean?
The distance North or South of the Equator, measured in degrees
Also the horizontal lines
What does altitude mean?
The distance above sea level, measured in metres
What does density mean?
How many gas/ atmospheric particles there are in a volume of air
What does pressure mean?
How much force/air is pushing down on the ground
What happens when the air gets warmer?
Convection currents
Warm air rises because it’s less dense and cold air falls because it’s more dense and gets hotter.
Where is heat more concentrated?
At the equator
Name the three cells
- Hadley cell (the biggest) - hot air
- Ferrel cell - mild air
- Polar cell - cold air
