Weather and Climate 2 Flashcards
Global Atmospheric Circulation
- atmosphere moves to transfer heat by convection
- heat transfer from equator to poles also affected by Coriolis
Hadley Cell
- wind flows toward equatorial low
- air sinks down at 30N and S Highs occur here and have dry air and deserts
Ferrell Cell
- mid-latitude
- air moves from subtropical high to polar front
Polar Cell
-cold, heavy sir sinks from the poles toward the Ferrell cell and the polar front
Polar Front
-is the boundary between the polar cell and the mid-latitude(Ferrell) cell
-at the polar front there are temperatures and pressure gradients and storms
-at the polar front the troposphere thins
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Description of the Jet Stream
- 1000 kms long
- several kilometers thick
- wind in the jet stream can blow at 100-200 mph
- located at tropopause(6-9miles)
What are the undulations in the jet stream called?
Rossby Waves
Air Masses
large body of air with similar temperature and moisture conditions
cP continental polar
cold,dry
mP maritime polar
cold,wet
cT continental tropical
dry,warm
mT maritime tropical
wet,warm
Which air masses affect us the most?
cP and mT
Dew Point
temperature at which a specific air mass will start condensation. At this point, the latent heat “kicks in”
Low Cloud Types
- nimbostratus
- cumulus
