Weather Patterns Flashcards
Coriolis Effect
The rotation of the earth causes objects in the northern hemisphere to deflect to the right, while objects in the Southern Hemisphere are deflected to the left.
Doldrums
A spot near the equator were there are very few winds.
Trade Winds
Winds that blow towards the equator.
Sea Breeze
Winds that blow from the sea
Jet Stream
A band of very fast moving wind caused by differences in temperature.
El Niño
The band of warm ocean temperatures that develop off the coast of South America.
La Niña
The band of cool ocean temperatures, that happens in the Pacific Ocean.
Convection current
a current in a fluid that results from convection.
Land Breeze
a breeze blowing toward the sea from the land, especially at night, owing to the relative warmth of the sea.
Prevailing winds
a wind from the direction that is predominant at a particular place or season.
Prevailing westerlies
The westerlies, anti-trades, or prevailing westerlies, are prevailing winds from the west toward the east in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude.
Polar Easterlies
The polar easterlies (also Polar Hadley cells) are the dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the high-pressure areas of the polar highs at the North and South Poles towards low-pressure areas within the Westerlies at high latitudes.
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current.
