ATOC 184 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Pressure-Gradient Force, Geostrophic Wind, Coriolis Force
14 Mar 2016
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The gravitational force being balanced by the vertical pressure gradient force. The pressure gradient force is always pointing from high pressure to low pressure. Gravity trying to accelerate the wind towards the earth"s surface. Between pressure gradient force & coriolis force. That is pointed in either north south, or east west direction. Not because the pressure is higher or lower but because of how the pressure might be different in montreal than in ottawa. An air parcel initially at rest will move from high pressure to low pressure because of the pressure gradient force (pgf). However, as that air parcel begins to movie, it is deflected by the coriolis force to the right in the northern hemisphere. Was the wind gains speed, the deflection increases until the. The result: wind is blowing, the pgf is on the left and. Always be true in the n. hemisphere low pressure in the left and higher in the right.
