GEG-1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 29: Polar Easterlies, Anticyclone, Rain Shadow
Document Summary
Four main ways to get the air to rise up. Convergent lifting- air flows a low-pressure system and rises. Convectional lifting- air comes over warmer surface, heats and rises. (florida). Front: two air masses meet; don"t mix because diff charcteristics of temp and humidity. Cold air denser, so stays on ground. Cold air mass pushing into area occupied by warm air mass. Warm air is invading territory of cold air. Stratus clouds, less intense precipitation, longer duration. We"ve seen the global pattern of major high- and low-pressure systems. Coriolis effect cause air to spiral into a cyclone and out of an anticyclone. Cyclones: counterclockwise in spiral in nh, clock wise in sh. Cyclones: rising air leads to clouds and precipitation. Anticyclone: descending air leads to clear conditions. Meeting of polar easterlies and mid- latitude westerlies. Mid-latitudes: sometimes on polar side, sometimes on tropical side. Polar jet stream: strong winds high in troposphere.
