Table of Contents
What causes air to rise at the equator?
This pattern, called atmospheric circulation, is caused because the Sun heats the Earth more at the equator than at the poles. In the tropics, near the equator, warm air rises. When it gets about 10-15 km (6-9 miles) above the Earth surface it starts to flow away from the equator and towards the poles.
What causes air to rise in the atmosphere?
The most powerful force which causes air to rise and cool is the Sun. When the Sun heats the surface of the Earth, warming of the air above the ground takes place. This warm air rises and cools as it goes higher. At a certain point, condensation will occur and clouds will form.
What is global wind and pressure patterns?
Large global wind systems are created by the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface. These global wind systems, in turn, drive the oceans’ surface currents. Warm air rises at the equator and moves toward the poles. At the poles, the cooler air sinks and moves back toward the equator.
What are large scale circulation patterns?
Recurring patterns of variability in large-scale atmospheric circulation (such as the North Atlantic Oscillation and Northern Annular Mode) and the atmosphere–ocean system (such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation) cause year-to-year variations in U.S. temperatures and precipitation (high confidence).
Does air fall at the equator?
The air that rises at the equator does not flow directly to the poles. Due to the rotation of the earth, there is a build up of air at about 30° north latitude. (The same phenomenon occurs in the Southern Hemisphere). Some of the air sinks, causing a belt of high-pressure at this latitude.
Does warm air sink at the equator?
Clearly, air is warmer at the Equator. Therefore, air rises at the Equator and sinks at the Poles, and the cool air from the Poles will slide to the Equator to replace the air rising at the Equator. In other words, surface winds tend to blow away from the Poles and towards the Equator.
What are two things that can force air to rise quickly?
Surface heating and free convection. During the daytime, the earth’s surface is heated by the sun, which in turn heats the air in contact with the surface.
What happens when air cools?
Because each molecule uses more space for motion, the air expands and becomes less dense (lighter). The opposite effect happens when air cools. As the temperature drops, molecules move more slowly, taking up less room. The amount of space the air takes up shrinks, or reduces the air pressure.
What is the relationship between atmospheric pressure and wind?
There is a close relationship between the pressure and the wind speed. The greater the difference in air pressure between the two points, the steeper is the pressure gradient and greater is the speed of the wind. The gentler the pressure gradient slower is the speed of the wind.
What are wind patterns?
The global wind pattern is also known as the “general circulation” and the surface winds of each hemisphere are divided into three wind belts: Polar Easterlies: From 60-90 degrees latitude. Prevailing Westerlies: From 30-60 degrees latitude (aka Westerlies).
What causes large scale patterns on Earth?
Recurring patterns of variability in large-scale atmospheric circulation (such as the North Atlantic Oscillation and Northern Annular Mode) and the atmosphere–ocean system (such as El Niño–South- ern Oscillation) cause year-to-year variations in U.S. temperatures and precipitation (high confidence).
What is a circulation pattern?
[‚sər·kyə·′lā·shən ‚pad·ərn] (meteorology) The general geometric configuration of atmospheric circulation usually applied, in synoptic meteorology, to the large-scale features of synoptic charts and mean charts.