Air Pressure, Coriolis and Winds What IS air pressure? How does pressure affect the weather around us? What do we already know about pressure?

Air pressure, Coriolis and Winds Pressure is the force of the atmosphere pushing down upon us. Do we have more pressure here or in Denver? What would happen to a balloon that we blew up in Denver and brought to Evergreen? Weight is a measurement of the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity. Would our weight be different here from Denver?

Air pressure, Coriolis and Winds Pressures vary. What causes differences in pressure? Temperature Variations (how do they come about?) What are some examples of pressure differences that we have already learned? Hadley Cells, Lifting Mechanisms

Air Pressure, Coriolis and Winds What do we use to measure pressure? How does it work?

Air Pressure, Coriolis and Winds How does pressure affect winds? Air moves from highs to lows Meteorologists look at weather maps with ISOBARS which are lines of equal pressure. Just like contour lines on a relief/topographical map… (Meteorologists also look at Isotherms which are lines of what?)

Air pressure, Coriolis and Winds

Air Pressure, Coriolis and Winds What can we determine about wind from the isobars? The strength and direction of winds What do we already know about how wind flows? If wind flows from high to low pressure, then the high pressures would quickly lose their “high” and the low pressures would fill up. But they don’t…at least not that quickly. Why not?

Air Pressure, Winds and Coriolis Wind is ALWAYS deflected as it moves from high pressure to low pressure. It is through a “force” that we have already briefly talked about…. The Coriolis Force….What is it? Coriolis lab handout

Coriolis Force (and the rocket)

What else affects winds? This force slows down objects close to the earth’s surface. FRICTION! How will this change with height in the atmosphere? Geostrophic Winds