General Circulation

of Pressure and Wind

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 General Circulation of the
atmosphere represents "average
air flow around the globe is
created by unequal heating at
earth's surface

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 I.General Circulation for non-rotating
and homogenous Earth
Simple Model of Global Circulation will be founded
on the following simplifying assumptions:
The Earth is not rotating in space.
The Earth's surface is composed of similar materials
(homogenous).
The global reception of solar insolation and loss of
long wave radiation cause a temperature gradient of
hotter air at the equator and colder air at the poles.

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 Based on these assumptions, air circulation on the Earth
should approximate the patterns shown as below. In this
illustration, each hemisphere contains one three-
dimensional circulation cell.

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 As described in the diagram above, surface air
flow is from the poles to the equator. When the air
reaches the equator, it is lifted vertically by the
processes of convection and convergence. When it
reaches the top of the troposphere, it begins to
flow once again horizontally from the equator to
the poles. At the poles, the air in the upper
atmosphere then descends to the Earth's surface
and divergence to complete the cycle of flow.
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 II. General Circulation for rotating
and homogenous Earth

The Coriolis force deflects to

the right in the Northern
hemisphere and to the left in
the Southern hemisphere
when viewed along the line
of motion.

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 Air Movement
1. Wind is the movement of air
caused by differences in air
pressure
2. The greater the difference,
the faster the wind moves

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 Air Pressure
1. Differences in air pressure are
caused by the uneven heating of
Earth
2. Uneven heating produces pressure
belts which occur every 30° latitude

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 Pressure Belts
As warm air rises at the equator and
moves toward the poles through the
upper air, it cools
As it cools, some of the air sinks
around 30° north and south of the
equator
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 Pressure Belts
 At the poles, cold air sinks and moves

towards the equator

 Around 60° north and south, the air

begins to heat up and rise

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 Global Winds
 The combination of
pressure belts and the
Coriolis Effect cause
global winds
 These are polar
easterlies,
westerlies, and trade
winds

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 Polar Easterlies
NE wind in NH, SE wind in SH
 Wind belts that
extend from the
poles to 60° latitude
 Formed from cold
sinking air moving
from the poles
creating cold
temperatures

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 Westerlies
SW wind in NH, NW wind in SH
 Wind belts found
between 30° and
60° latitude
 Flow towards the
poles from west to
east carrying moist
air from Oceans to
land
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 Trade Winds
NE wind in NH, SE wind in SH
 Winds that blow from
30° almost to the
equator
 Called the trade winds
because of their use by
early sailors
 Trade wind vary from
10 to 16 Knot as average

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 Monsoon Winds

Monsoon is a regional wind that reverses its

direction on seasonal basis . The monsoon over
south and south east Asia is typical. These wind
systems override the expected pattern of
primary atmospheric circulation.
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 Doldrums
 Located along the equator where no winds
blow because the warm rising air creates an
area of low pressure.
 Associated weather conditions:
1.Variable wind direction
2.Heavy rain associated with thunderstorms
3.Fair weather associated to light trade wind
4.Bad weather associated to above normal wind
speed.

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 Subtropical High pressure belt
(Horse Latitudes)
Occur at about 30° north and south of
the equator where the winds are very
weak
Most deserts on the Earth are located
here because of the dry air

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 High pressure Low pressure
areas at Poles, area at Equator,
30° N , and 30° S 60° N , and 60° S
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 Local Wind Systems
Interesting topic because they exist almost
everywhere
Coastal regions - Sea breezes
Mountains - Fohn winds,
 mountain/valley breezes
Often due to
1. terrain (Orographic)
2. temperature differences from one place to
another – it call a thermal circulation
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 Local Wind Systems
Effects of the continents
Southern Hemisphere circulation is more
Uniform
Northern Hemisphere circulation is less
Uniform
Semi permanent highs and lows

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 Sea and Land Breezes
Sea and land breezes are types of thermal
circulation systems that develop at the
interface of land and ocean. At this
interface, the dissimilar heating and
cooling characteristics of land and water
initiate the development of an
atmospheric pressure gradient which
causes the air in these areas to flow.

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 sea breeze
During the daytime land heats up much faster than
water as it receives solar radiation from the sun. The
warmer air over the land then begins to expand and rise
forming a thermal low. At the same time, the air over
the sea becomes a cool high because of water's slower
rate of heating. Air begins to flow as soon as there is a
significant difference in air temperature and pressure
across the land to sea gradient. The development of this
pressure gradient causes the heavier cooler air over the
sea to move toward the land and to replace the air
rising in the thermal low. This localized air flow system
is called a sea breeze.
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 Sea breeze usually begins in midmorning
and reaches its maximum strength in the
later afternoon when the greatest
temperature and pressure contrasts exist. It
dies down at sunset when air temperature
and pressure once again become similar
across the two surfaces.

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 land breeze
At sunset, the land surface stops receiving radiation
from the sun. As night continues the land surface
begins losing heat energy at a much faster rate than
the water surface. After a few hours, air
temperature and pressure contrasts begin to develop
between the land and sea surfaces. The land surface
being cooler than the water becomes a thermal high
pressure area. The sea becomes a warm thermal
low. Wind flow now moves from the land to the
open sea. This type of localized air flow is called a
land breeze.
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 Katabatic and Anabatic wind
(Mountain and Valley Breezes)
Mountain (Katabatic wind) and valley
breezes (Anabatic wind) are common in
regions with great topographic relief. A valley
breeze develops.

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 Katabatic wind
During the night, the air along the
mountain slopes begins to cool quickly
because of long wave radiation loss. As
the air cools, it becomes more dense and
begins to flow down slope causing a
mountain breeze. Convergence of the
draining air occurs at the valley floor
and forces the air to move vertically Nighttime
upward. The upward movement is development
usually limited by the presence of a of mountain
temperature inversion which forces the breeze
air to begin moving horizontally. This
horizontal movement completes the
circulation cell system.
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 Anabatic wind
during the day as the sun heats the
land surface and air at the valley
bottom and sides. As the air heats it
becomes less dense and buoyant and
begins to flow gently up the valley
sides. Vertical ascent of the air rising
along the sides of the mountain is
usually limited by the presence of a
Daytime
temperature inversion layer. When
development of
the ascending air currents encounter
the inversion they are forced to move valley breeze
horizontally and then back down to
the valley floor.
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 Foehn Wind
Foehn is a hot wind of local
importance in the Alps. It is a
strong, gusty, dry and warm
wind. It develops on the
leeward side of a mountain
range. Due to regional pressure
gradient, stable air is forced to
ascend the windward side
causing precipitation on the
mountains. As it descends the
leeward side, it is warmed and
becomes dry.

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