global climate change Flashcards
what is the coriolis effect?
winds do not blow in a straight line because the earth is rotating.
what are jet streams?
jet streams are relatively narrow bands of strong winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere.
what are the the two types of jet streams?
polar jet streams
subtropical jet streams
where does the northern hemisphere force winds to blow?
wind curves right, clockwise
where does the southern hemisphere force winds to blow?
wind will curve left, anti-clockwise.
high pressure means?
warm air rises
low pressure means?
cold air descends
what’s the order of the cells across the globe?
polar, ferrel, hadley, hadley, ferrel, polar
what’s a hadley cell?
air rises at the equator and sinks at medium latitudes, typically about 30° north or south.
what is a ferrel cell?
model of the mid-latitude segment of Earth’s wind circulation.
what is a polar cell?
air is cooled and sinks towards the ground and flows towards higher latitudes
what is the atmospheric circulation model?
wind movement can vary but over time they do form a global circulation pattern.
what is oceanic circulation?
ocean currents are movements of surface water
what do warm oceanic currents transport?
they transport warm water towards the poles.
what do cold currents transport?
cold water to the equator
