Weather & Climate Flashcards
How is heat energy transferred around earth?
Through earth being in constant motion
Distribution of solar radiation
Surplus of heat energy at the equator
A deficit of heat energy at the poles
What do circulation cells in each hemisphere do to heat energy?
Redistribute it
How are Hadley cells formed?
Warm air rises 15km at the equator causing low pressure
Air current divides, cools and moves north and south
This forms Hadley cells
Cooled air sinks at 30 degrees north and south of the equator, leading to high pressure
What are trade winds?
Cooled air moving back towards the equator
How are the lower parts of the Ferrel cells formed?
Cooled air travelling towards the poles
How are polar cells formed?
Warmer air of the ferrel cells meets colder polar air 60 degrees north and south
Warmer air rises to form polar cells
This air travels to the poles, where it cools and sinks forming areas of high pressure
What is solar radiation?
Earth receiving all its heat energy from the sun
What is oceanic circulation?
Ocean currents transferring heat energy from areas of surplus to areas of deficit
What moves warm water toward the poles and colder water towards the equator?
Wind driven surface currents and deeper ocean currents
What happens to water in the arctic and Antarctic?
It gets cold and dense so sinks
Warmer water from equator replaces this surface water
This creates ocean currents eg. The Gulf Stream
Cooled water flows back towards the equator and forms cold currents such as the humboldt current
