GEOG 2050 : Exam 3 Notes Fall 2013
Document Summary
Key concepts: air pressure, mercury barometer, aneroid barometer, wind, anemometer, wind vane, beaufort wind scale, isobars, pressure gradient force. Air pressure readings: lowest in us, 882 mbar, hurricane wilma 2005, earth"s record low, 870 mbar, typhoon tip oct. 1979, highest in us, 1065 mbar, barrow ak jan 1970, earth"s record high, 1084 mbar, siberia, dec 1968. Ocean: pressure increases with depth, 1 decibars (dbar) = ~1 m, depth can be determined by pressure, currents (similar to wind, current meters, speed, direction. Energy budget by latitude: unequal heating, different densities, air masses move to form equilibrium. Driving forces of wind/ocean: gravity, ~uniform world wide, holds atmosphere, pressure gradient force, high to low pressure, coriolis force, earth"s rotation, friction force, along earth"s surface. Key concepts: hadley cells, doldrums, westerlies, bermuda/azores high, icelandic low, pacific/hawaiian high, aleutian low, antarctic high, arctic high, constant isobaric surface, rossby waves, jet stream, polar front, polar jet stream, subtropicajet stream.
