GGY 230 Chapter 7.1-7.5: GGY Chapter 7 Part 1
Document Summary
Westerlies- describe winds that predominantly blow across the midlatitudes from west to east. Descriptions of atmospheric circulation consist of size and time frame in which the winds occur. Winds are divided into three categories; microscale, mesoscale, and macroscale. Small, often chaotic winds normally lasting for seconds or at the most minutes. Examples: simple gusts and small well-developed vortices such as dust devils (less intense tornadoes) Generally last for several minutes and occasionally exist for hours. Includes strong updrafts, and downdrafts, tornadoes, as well as local winds (unique wind systems) Examples: land and sea breezes, chinooks, and katabatic winds. Divided into 2 categories: planetary-scale winds, synoptic-scale winds (smaller, also reffered to as weather-map scale) Two well-known synoptic-scale winds are midlatitude cyclones and anticyclones. The smallest macroscale weather systems include: tropical storms and hurricanes that develop in late summer and early fall. Airflow in these systems are inward and upward. Local winds are examples of mesoscale winds.
