ENVIRSC 1C03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Northern Hemisphere, Pressure-Gradient Force, Pressure Gradient
1 Mar 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Air (cid:373)o(cid:448)i(cid:374)g horizo(cid:374)tally relati(cid:448)e to earth"s surfa(cid:272)e. Vertical movement air are called vertical winds or up/down drafts. Importance: climate- transports layers of heat- conveyer belt, global circulation. Caused by unequal heating of earth"s at(cid:373)osphere. Constant height plot variations in air pressure on a constant elevation: typically done at sea level. On maps isobars connect points of equal pressure. Movement of air in higher altitude- the winds are not crossing the isobars. Pressure gradient crosses isobars at right angle. Pic- anticyclone, the isobars are benched around. Higher the pressure gradient stronger the wind pressures. Movement of air is always from high to low pressure- always. Depending on how close the isobars are you can see the differences in the pressure gradients- stronger pressure when isobars are close: therefore the winds are the strongest. Initially the movement of air is going to be driven by the pressure gradient force. Then from high to low pressure: these pressures are in milobars.
