BIOL 204 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: June Solstice, Northern Hemisphere, Cool Air
1 Apr 2018
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Document Summary
Earth is tilted at 23. 5 degrees and is permanent. The tilt produces seasonal variation in duration and intensity of incoming solar radiation. Tropics: only the tropics ever receive solar radiatinon from directly overhead, experience only small seasonal changes in temperature (high) and day length (12 hours, changes are more wet/dry than hot/cold. Poles: winters are long and cold, periods of continuous darkness, summers are short, periods of continuous light. Global air movements produce 3 circulations in each hemisphere: 1) low latitude circulation cell creates wind, 2) middle latitude circulation cell, 3) polar circulation cell. Coriolis effect deflects the winds moving north/south into a clockwise/counterclockwise: winds near equator called trade winds, winds further from equator called temperate westerlies and easterlies. Warm air holds more water vapor than cool air. Adiabatic cooling decrease in temperature without the actual loss of heat. Solar radiation warms the water surface unevenly: volume of water is higher as it warms so equator sea level is higher.
