GEOGRAPH 110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Atmospheric Circulation, Polar Easterlies, Coriolis Force

• School: UMASS-Amherst
• Department: Geography
• Course: GEOGRAPH 110
• Professor: Deconto Robert

Document Summary

Prevailing winds, global climate patterns, and the coriolis. Making sense of earth"s zonal climate patterns, and climate"s influence on ocean characteristics. Weather: day to day changes in the atmosphere. Climate: seasonal progression of weather in a particular region and its year to year characteristics (including inter-annual variability) There are bands or zones around the earth that have greater concentrations of clouds (and greater precipitation). In contrast, there are other zones which display less clouds and precipitation. Weather patterns move from west to east across the u. s. lower 48 states. Hurricanes move west in the tropics, then hook to the east as they move out of the tropics. Cloud distribution, including large swirling cyclones in the northern and southern hemisphere. Movement of weather systems, westward in the tropics, eastward in the mid- latitudes. Hurricanes and typhoons hook to the right in the northern hemisphere. The trades, westerlies, and polar easterlies are prevailing winds.