1. Circulation in the atmosphere

2. What regulates the motion of fluid particles in the ocean and atmosphere?
Newton’s Law

3. What drives the circulation of the atmosphere?
Heating by the sun  AIR PRESSURE
Equator/Tropics
Higher Latitudes
surface
troposphere

5. Vertical view of air pressure (global convection)
High Pressure
Low Pressure
Low Pressure

6. + _ Horizontal view of air pressure at ocean surface High Pressure
Higher Latitudes
Surfaces of
constant pressure
y (latitude)
x (longitude) _
Equator/Tropics
Low Pressure

8. Newton’s Law Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude v
y (latitude)
x (longitude) u
Motion across
Latitudes
Motion along
Latitude

9. Non rotating view of Atmospheric Circulation

10. Hurricane IVAN H H L H H

11. 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

12. Newton’s Law Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude v
y (latitude)
x (longitude) u
Motion across
Latitudes
Motion along
Latitude

13. 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

14. Newton’s Law Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude v
y (latitude)
x (longitude) u
Motion across
Latitudes
Motion along
Latitude

16. 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

17. Newton’s Law Motion across Latitudes Motion along Latitude v
y (latitude)
x (longitude) u
Motion across
Latitudes
Motion along
Latitude

18. 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)

19. Hurricane IVAN H H L
Fpressure H H
FCoriolis

20. L H Vortices Low Pressure System High Pressure System Fpressure
FCoriolis
FCoriolis
Fpressure
Low Pressure System
High Pressure System

22. Vertical view of the atmosphere
Pole
Equator

23. 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

24. Vertical view of the atmosphere and Poleward Transport of Heat
Equator

25. Midlatitude Cyclones

26. Poleward Heat Transport

29. The seasonal cycle

30. Differential Heating
From Equators to Poles

31. Next time we will see how the ocean
responds to the atmospheric wind
and how it contributes to the heat transport