The Ferrel And Polar Cells Flashcards

1
Q

Where does the Ferrel cell occur

A

Higher latitudes (between 30 degrees and 60 degrees north and 30 degrees and 60 degrees south)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the Ferrel cell responsible for

A

Climate types occurring in the mid latitudes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

How are the warm southwesterly winds in the northern hemisphere and the northwesterlies in the Southern Hemisphere formed

A

Air in the surface is pulled towards the poles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

As these winds travel across the oceans they..

A

Pick up moisture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

At 60 degrees N and 60 degrees S

A

The winds meet cold air which has drifted from the poles. The warmed air from the tropics is lighter than the dense, cold polar air and so it rises as the two air masses meet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What happens as the warmer tropic air and cold polar air mix

A

The uplift of air causes low pressure at the surface and unstable conditions that follow result in the mid latitudes depressions - characteristically experienced in the cook temperate western maritime (CTWM) climate

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What happens when the uplift of air reaches the troposphere

A

Some of the rising air eventually returns to the tropics as part of the Ferrel cell circulation; some is diverted polewards, as part of the Polar cell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How is high pressure formed

A

On the surface at the N and S poles, descending air from the Polar cell results in high pressure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

In both the northern and Southern Hemispheres..

A

Winds are pulled from the high pressure poles towards the mid latitude low pressure belt, which occurs at around 60 degrees N and 60 degrees S

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What does the earth spinning in its axis cause

A

The prevailing surface winds to be deflected to the left in the Southern Hemisphere and to the right in the northern hemisphere

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What do the deflected prevailing winds cause

A

Cold air to be transported away from high latitudes and warm air is bought in by the polar cell. This helps to address the energy deficit.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What does the three cell model not allow for

A
  • the influence of depressions/anticyclones

- or high level jet streams in the redistribution of energy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Who was the three cell model refined by

A

Rossby in 1941 - to take into account what it missed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Winds in the upper atmosphere

A

Blow around the earth in a westerly directional- pilots found this out while flying

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are rossby waves (4)

A
  • follow a wavy undulating pattern
  • travel around the earths upper atmosphere
  • occur 4-6 times in each hemisphere
  • can stretch from the polar latitudes to the tropical latitudes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How do some people believe the rossby waves are caused

A

By the upper air flow being forced to divert around the great north - once a wave motion has begun it is perpetuated around the planet

17
Q

What are jet streams

A

Bands of extremely fast moving air (up to 250 km h-1) within the upper westerly winds

18
Q

Size of jet streams

A

Hundreds of km in width

Vertical thickness of 1000-2000 m

19
Q

Jet streams found at altitudes of

A

10,000 m

20
Q

What are jet streams the product of

A

A large temperature gradient between two air masses

21
Q

Two main locations of jet streams

A
  • the polar front jet stream (PFJS)

- the sub tropical jet stream (STJS)

22
Q

The polar front jet stream (4)

A
  • westerly band of wind
  • associated with the meeting place of cold polar and warm tropical air
  • above the Atlantic Ocean
  • marks the division between the polar and Ferrel cells
23
Q

What does the polar front jet stream (PFJS) help to explain

A

The formation of mid-latitude low-pressure weather systems, or depressions

24
Q

The subtropical jet stream (STJS)

A
  • also generally westerly
  • associated with the poleward ends of the Hadley cells
  • in summer above west Africa and southern India this jet may become easterly
  • ^due to higher temperatures over land than over the more southerly sea areas