Chapter 5

Winds and Global Circulation

Visualizing Physical Geography

Copyright 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc.

Atmospheric Pressure
Atmospheric pressure: pressure exerted by
the atmosphere because of the force of
gravity acting upon the overlying column
of air
Atmospheric pressure at a single location varies
slightly from day to day
Barometer: instrument that
measures atmospheric pressure

Visualizing Physical Geography

Copyright 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc.

Atmospheric Pressure
Air Pressure and Altitude
Atmospheric pressure
decreases with altitude

Visualizing Physical Geography

Copyright 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc.

Local Wind Patterns

Winds are identified by
the direction from
which the wind comes
Wind vane?
Anemometer?

Visualizing Physical Geography

Copyright 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc.

Local Wind Patterns

Pressure Gradients
Wind is caused by differences in atmospheric pressure from one place to
another
Air tends to move from regions of high pressure to regions of low pressure

Isobars ?
Pressure gradient: change
of atmospheric pressure
measured along a line at
right angles to the isobars

Visualizing Physical Geography

Copyright 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc.

Pressure Gradients develop because of unequal heating in the

atmosphere

Local Wind Patterns

Local Winds
Santa Ana winds
Sea and land Breezes
Mountain and valley winds

Cyclones and Anticyclones

Coriolis Effect: effect of the Earths rotation that acts like a force to
deflect a moving object on the Earths surface to the right in the
northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere
Acts at right angles to direction of motion
Deflects to right in the northern hemisphere, left in the southern hemisphere
No deflection at equator, maximum deflection at poles

Cyclones and Anticyclones

Coriolis Effect
Balance of Forces on a parcel of surface air:
Pressure Gradient
Coriolis Effect
Strength increases with speed of
motion
Strength decreases with latitude

Friction
Exerted by ground surface
Proportional to wind speed
Acts opposite to direction of
motion

Cyclones and Anticyclones

Cyclone: center of low atmospheric pressure
Air spirals inward (convergence) and upward
Associated with cloudy, rainy weather

Anticyclone: center of high atmospheric pressure

Air spirals downward and outward (divergence)
Associated with fair weather

Global Wind and Pressure Patterns

Subtropical high-pressure belts:
belts of persistent high
atmospheric pressure centered
at about lat. 30 N and S

Polar Front: front lying between cold polar

air masses and warm tropical air masses

Intertropical
Convergence
Zone (ITCZ):
zone of
convergence of
air masses
along the
equatorial
trough

Hadley Cell: lowlatitude atmospheric

circulation cell with
rising air over the
equatorial trough and
sinking air over the
subtropical highpressure belts
Visualizing Physical Geography
Copyright 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc.

Global Wind and Pressure Patterns

ITCZ and Monsoon
Circulation
ITCZ and Hadley cells shift with the
seasons
Shift is very large in Asia

Visualizing Physical Geography

Copyright 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc.

ITCZ and Monsoon Circulation

Monsoon: seasonal reversal of winds

Winds Aloft
Pressure decreases less rapidly with height in warmer air than in colder air
There is a temperature gradient from the equator to the poles
So, at high altitudes there is a pressure gradient from the equator to the
polesstrong winds at high altitudes

Winds Aloft
The Geostrophic Wind
Forces acting on an upper air parcel:
1. Pressure gradient force:
Moves from high pressure to low pressure
2. Coriolis force
Deflects to right in NH, to left in SH
Pressure gradient force balances coriolis force
Wind blows parallel to isobars

Geostrophic Wind: wind at high levels above

the Earths surface blowing parallel with a
system of straight parallel isobars

Winds Aloft
Global Circulation at Upper Levels:

Winds Aloft
Rossby Waves, Jet Streams, and the Polar Front
Rossby waves:
Arise in the polar front
Contribute to variable weather in
mid-latitudes
Rossby waves: horizontal
undulations in the flow path
of the upper-westerlies;
upper-air waves
Polar front: zone where cold
polar air meets warm tropical
air

Flow of air along front smooth for days or weeks.

Waves stronger. Tongue of cold air

Brough south and warm north.

Undulations begin and

Become stronger. Rossby
Wave forms. Warm air
Pushed poleward,
cold air south

Tongue pinched off.

Pool of cold air
farther
south than originally.
Become
cyclones of cold air
Persist for days of
weeks.

Winds Aloft

Jet streams: high-speed air flow in narrow bands

within the upper-air westerlies and along certain
other global latitude zones at high levels

Visualizing Physical Geography

Copyright 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc.

 Polar-front jet stream

Westerly;
associated with
Rossby waves
Subtropical jet stream
Westerly; above
subtropical highpressure cells
Tropical easterly jet
stream
Runs east to west
Summer only
Develops in Asia

Ocean Currents
Oceanic circulation:

Ocean current: persistent,

dominantly horizontal flow
of water

Currents exchange heat between high and low latitudes

Ocean Currents
Large-Scale Circulation of Ocean Waters

Visualizing Physical Geography

Copyright 2008 John Wiley and Sons Publishers Inc.

Ocean Currents
Current Patterns
During an El Nio event:
Upwelling along Peruvian coast ceases
Trade winds weaken
Weak equatorial eastward current develops

 Moisture and temperature

patterns alter