GEOL 118 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Convection Cell, Polar Desert, Atmospheric Circulation
5 Apr 2016
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Geol 118 - lecture 25 - severe weather ii. Because earth rotates, atmospheric circulation is more complex due to coriolis effect, which causes any moving body to turn to right (clockwise) in northern hemisphere and to the left (counterclockwise) in southern hemisphere. Coriolis effect causes moving body to turn to right in northern hemisphere. Earth rotates out from under moving body. Instead of one giant convection cell per hemisphere, there are 3 circulation cells due to. Rising moist air at equator creates low-pressure zone, water vapor condenses as it rises, cools causing clouds to form and rain. Equator has abundant rain (tropical rain forest) After this air has lost its moisture, it spreads to north (and south), continuing to cool, then descends at mid-latitudes (~30n) Descending air undergoes heating (> temp due to compression) and > evaporation, causing most of world"s deserts at these latitudes.
