01:460:120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Atmospheric Circulation, Solar Thermal Collector, Cool Air
7 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Air sea interactions: the atmosphere and the ocean are intimately concerned, exchange of gases, water, and energy, controls earth"s weather and climate, winds create ocean waves and drive currents. Only 2 gases make up 99% of the atmosphere, and the most abundant one is largely inert. Planetary air movements are driven by: uneven solar heating. Solar heating is uneven on a spherical planet (like ours) Uneven solar heating leads to variation in the amounts of heat received vs. re-radiated at different latitudes. Solar heating is also uneven seasonally because the earth"s axis is tilted. Uneven solar heating causes high and low atmospheric pressure zones. Atmospheric circulation due to uneven solar heating on a non-rotating earth, but . The coriolis effect deflects the path of moving objects. Global atmospheric circulation is influenced by the coriolis effect; coriolis does not cause the wind, it affects direction: air moves in 6 cells. Light, variable winds; cloudy, much precipitation; breeding ground for hurricanes.
