Climate and Atmosphere

Composition

of

atmosphere

Vertical structure of atmosphere

What drives atmospheric motions?

Earth-Sun relationship

Transport by atmospheric motion and ocean currents

Net transport by atmosphere and ocean

Ocean currents

Atmospheric motions

Global circulation

Single-cell Model

Thermally driven circulation (direct circulation)

ITCZ: Intertropical Convergence Zone

Coriolis Force

../Animations/Coriolisppt.html

Coriolis Deflection Depends on Latitude

Z

Z

North Pole

ITCZ

North 30 degree

General circulations of the atmosphere

Ferrel cell:

indirect cell

Polar cell: direct cell

Global Atmospheric Circulation Model

../Animations/GlobalWindsV1ppt.html

Atmospheric Pressure

Force and Winds Horizontal pressure

gradient force

Winds should blow

from high to low

pressure. But they

are not. Why?

Geostrophic Balance

High pressure

Low pressure

Coriolis force

Pressure gradient force

Geostrophic Wind

Curved flow and Gradient Wind

L PcentFcoriF

V

H

V

coriFP centF

Anti-clockwise (cyclonic) Clockwise (anti-cyclonic)

Hurricane

Northern hemisphere Southern hemisphere

Frictional force

1

gfV

gV

fF

V

fF

gfV