ENVIRSC 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Pressure Gradient, Altimeter
8 Nov 2015
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Env sci 1a03 lecture 13 (lecture 11 in slides) What are winds: air moving horizontally relative to earth"s surface, caused by unequal heating of earth"s atmosphere. How are winds generated: difference in pressure drive winds, pressure gradient force: difference in pressure between regions. How is pressure mapped: constant height: plot variations in air pressure on a constant elevation; on maps, isobars connect points of equal pressure. What are constant height maps: lines of isobars: bend and turnaround areas of high (h) and low (l) pressure, maps are smoothed, constant height charts can be used to show variations in pressure at any altitude. What are constant pressure maps: show variations in altitude for a constant pressure, also known as upper level charts or isobaric charts, high heights correspond to high temperatures, low heights correspond to low temperatures. Winds and temperature on pressure maps: h: high pressure, anticyclones, l: low pressure, mid-latitude cyclones.
