EESA09H3 Chapter : GLOBAL WIND CIRCULATION
10 May 2011
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Lecture 2: global wind circulation: mesospehere is very unstable. What is wind: pressure gradient force: caused by the differences in pressure b/w high pressure systems & low pressure systems. Pressure gradient force (pgf) is always directed from high to low. Steep pg (isobars that are close together) indicate strong pgf and high winds: when the wind starts to blow, the coriolis force causes it to bend to the right in n. h. , left in the s. h. www. notesolution. com. Eesa09h: balance between pgf & coriolis = geostrophic wind. Note: westerly means from the west; easterly means from the east: exists roughly b/w 30 degrees and 60 degrees in each hemisphere. Polar cell: sinking at poles, rising at 60 degrees n/s, polar easterlies produced, trade winds: winds that blow to the south west, surface component of hadley cell. Seasonality: summers & winters: continentality: land masses heat/cool faster than water & have more friction than water.
