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Circulation in the atmosphere
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What regulates the motion of fluid particles in the ocean and atmosphere?
Newton’s Law
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What drives the circulation of the atmosphere?
Heating by the sun AIR PRESSURE Equator/Tropics Higher Latitudes surface troposphere
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Vertical view of air pressure (global convection)
High Pressure Low Pressure Low Pressure
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+ _ Horizontal view of air pressure at ocean surface High Pressure
Higher Latitudes Surfaces of constant pressure y (latitude) x (longitude) _ Equator/Tropics Low Pressure
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Newton’s Law Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude v
y (latitude) x (longitude) u Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude
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Non rotating view of Atmospheric Circulation
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Hurricane IVAN H H L H H
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North Hemisphere Fpressure FCoriolis Low Pressure High Pressure
Rate of Rotation North Hemisphere Low Pressure B t1 t2 t3 t4 t5 A Fpressure FCoriolis High Pressure
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Newton’s Law Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude v
y (latitude) x (longitude) u Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude
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North Hemisphere Fpressure FCoriolis High Pressure Low Pressure
Rate of Rotation North Hemisphere A B High Pressure Low Pressure t1 t2 t3 t4 t5 Fpressure FCoriolis
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Newton’s Law Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude v
y (latitude) x (longitude) u Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude
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Fpressure FCoriolis Fpressure FCoriolis Fpressure FCoriolis Fpressure
When this balance is reached the movement of the particles (and therefore of the flow) is called geostrophic motion
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Newton’s Law Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude v
y (latitude) x (longitude) u Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude
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Some practical rules to remember:
Fpressure Low Pressure High Pressure FCoriolis Particle will have the Coriolis force 90 degrees to the right Particles will tend to move along line of constant pressure Particles will have the high pressure on their right (same as Coriolis)
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Hurricane IVAN H H L Fpressure H H FCoriolis
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L H Vortices Low Pressure System High Pressure System Fpressure
FCoriolis FCoriolis Fpressure Low Pressure System High Pressure System
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Vertical view of the atmosphere
Pole Equator
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L L H H H L L L H H H L L Polar High Subpolar Low Subtropical High
Eq. Low L L H H H L L
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Vertical view of the atmosphere and Poleward Transport of Heat
Equator
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Midlatitude Cyclones
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Poleward Heat Transport
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The seasonal cycle
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Differential Heating From Equators to Poles
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Next time we will see how the ocean
responds to the atmospheric wind and how it contributes to the heat transport
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