GEOG 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Intertropical Convergence Zone, Latent Heat, Humid Continental Climate
Document Summary
High pressure regions: air is sinking evaporation not a lot of cloud cover. Intertropical convergence zone a narrow zone near the equator where northern and southern air masses converge, typically producing low atmospheric pressure. On top of oceans, there is more rain > on top of land. More water evaporated from oceans than from land. Latent heat is transported vertically and horizontally. Warm air moving up vertically with evaporation, horizontally with condensation at the top. Horizontal movement: maintains balance of energy (more horiz. movement in tropics than the poles) Cold currents bring colder water from the poles move towards the equator. Warm currents from the equator transport north. This evens out the distribution of warm/cold currents or energy throughout the system. Example: stirring coffee to and then pouring milk into the middle. Cool currents = cooler land; warm currents = warmer land. Temperature is tied to the net radiation (what stays to warm the system, if it stays.
