Pressure Belts
● Along Equator, warm air expands & rises in convection currents
● Causes low pressure cells = Equatorial Low Pressure Belt
● ITCZ = Intertropical Convergence Zone
● As air rises, it cools
● Air of same temperature as surrounding air, stops rising
● Air diverges pole wards
● Air begins to sink
● Air gets compressed & temperature rises
● cold air subsides causing polar high pressure = Subtropical High Pressure
● Cold air converges with warm air = Sub Polar Low Pressure
●
● Southern Hemisphere = Winter : ITCZ migrates North
Summer : ITCz migrates South
, Pressure Gradient Force & Wind
● Causes air to move high pressure towards low pressure
● PGF stronger when steeper & stronger wind result
● Weather winds blow when PGF gentle
Coriolis Force
● Once wind blows along pressure gradient, Earth’s rotation = winds deflect
● Rotation speed 0 km/h at Poles, about 1 670 km/hat Equator
● Force of deflection = Coriolis Force
● Does not occur at equator (within 5° )
● Dependent strength of winds
Force is stronger when wind stronger
● Deflects winds from North to South direction
Ferrel’s Law
● Law demonstrating Coriolis Force
● Moving matter deflected from its course by force of Earth’s rotation
● Ferrel's law = moving matter deflected to left (Southern Hemisphere)
Deflected to right (Northern Hemisphere)
Geostrophic Flow
● Air moves high pressure to low pressure = Pressure Gradient Force (PGF)
● Air moves how Coriolis Force deflects it due to rotation of the Earth
● As air moves from HP speed increases & so does deflectio
● Deflection increases till Coriolis & Pressure Gradient same
● Then air moves along Isobars (lines on a weather map joining together places of equal
atmospheric pressure)
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Temone. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $2.84. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.