CLIMATEOLOGY
THE UNEQUAL HEATING OF THE ATMOSPHERE
Latitudinal differences
The angle of incidence of insolation differs in the various zones:
The sun’s rays are more direct in the equatorial region and are hotter.
The sun’s rays are less direct in the temperate zones resulting in cooler
conditions.
Albedo effect
Refers to the amount of insolation reflected:
Snow and ice reflect about 90% making the area very cold.
SEASONAL DIFFERENCES
The seasons are caused by:
Earth’s revolution around the sun
Earth’s axis is tilted at 23½° to the vertical
The constant tilt - always parallel to its previous position
Earth is a sphere - only half of earth receives sunlight causing day and
night
Earth’s rotation
CLIMATEOLOGY
THE TRANSFER OF ENERGY AMD ENERGY BALANCE
Tropical (torrid) regions receive more heat than the polar regions.
To prevent overheating, heat is transferred away from the tropics toward
the poles. This prevents the poles becoming too cold.
Most heat is transferred:
[Link] by winds
[Link] by ocean currents
[Link] by radiation, conduction, convection and the release of latent
heat.
THE ROLE OF OCEAN CURRENTS
Ocean currents are streams of moving water which play a role in
transferring heat from equatorial regions toward the poles and returning
colder water from the poles toward the equator.
Ocean currents influence the temperature and moisture characteristics
of the air mass above it.
THE ROLE OF WINDS
Global winds are responsible for transferring heat from the equatorial
regions towards the poles. Cold air is also transferred from the polar
regions towards the equator by wind.
CLIMATEOLOGY
PRIMARY AIR CIRCULATION
Temperature differences on a global scale create differences in
atmospheric pressure.
Atmospheric pressure is the force exerted on the surface of earth by the
air above it, as a result of gravitational pull.
Atmospheric pressure is measured in millibars (mb) or hectopascals
(hPa).
These temperature and pressure differences result in air movement or
WIND.
In theory, air ascends at the equatorial regions where there is a surplus of
heat energy and descends in the polar regions where there is a heat
deficit.
As a result of earth’s rotation, ocean currents and localised pressure and
temperature differences, this model becomes unrealistic.
GLOBAL AIR PRESSURE BELTS
Polar high: Associated with cold, dense
descending air over the poles. Stable,
clear and cold conditions persist.
Subpolar low: Associated with the
convergence of air masses. Warmer air is
forced to ascend creating an area of LP.
AKA polar front - this is where mid-latitude
cyclones originate.
ITCZ: AKA InterTropical Convergence
Zone - area of maximum heating and
convergence zone of Tropical Easterlies.
Hot air rises, laden with moisture = regular
thunderstorms and high rainfall.
Subtropical high: Descending air is warm
and dry. Deserts form in this region.
Associated with clear skies and low
rainfall.
CLIMATEOLOGY
TRI-CELLULAR MODEL
Hadley/Tropical cell: Hot air rises, cools and forms tall Cb clouds
→ upper air divergence and air moves poleward → cooled air
subsides at roughly 30° forming a HP → air heats adiabatically →
air diverges at surface and moves back toward equator → surface
winds from N and S converge to form the ITCZ.
Ferral/Mid-latitude cell: Air subsides at 30°, warms and diverges
at the surface with some air moving poleward → at about 60°, the
warm air meets cold air from the poles → convergence causes air
to rise and a LP to form → this forms the polar front → upper air
divergence with some air moving toward the equator to
complete the cell. This cell flows counterclockwise.
Polar cell: Cold air subsides over the poles → cold air diverges at
the surface and flows toward the equator → cold air mass meets
warm air mass forming the polar front and a LP → upper air
divergence with some air moving back toward poles to complete
cell.
CLIMATEOLOGY
GLOBAL AIR MASSES
Air masses are fairly large bodies of air that are uniform in temperature and
moisture content.
Air masses form in areas called the source region. These are relatively flat with
little air disturbance at the surface.
The regions separating two different air masses is known as a front.
ITCZ IN WINTER
ITCZ IN SUMMER
CLIMATEOLOGY
DROUGHT AND DESERTIFICATION
Drought - One or more seasons with below average rainfall, which leads to water
shortages.
Desertification - The process in which soil quality and vegetation cover decrease,
and productive land changes to desert.
LA NINA CONDITIONS
Definition: cooling of sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean
Spanish for ‘girl child’; this event usually occurs between December and March
following an El Niño event
It is an intensification of the normal/neutral conditions
Trade winds are stronger than usual, ‘dragging’ more warmer surface water to the
western Pacific pool
The LP in the west intensifies and more rainfall occurs as a result
The HP creates even cooler and drier conditions in the eastern Pacific
EL NINO CONDITIONS
Definition: warming of sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean
Trade winds weaken as a result of changing atmospheric pressures (scientists are
still unsure why or how this happens)
The equatorial current weakens and the counter-equatorial current strengthens
This results in ‘warm water spreading’ across the Pacific
Cold waters in the eastern Pacific are suppressed reducing upwelling
The convergence of warm and humid air occurs mainly over the central Pacific
forming a LP leading to rainfall
This change in the atmospheric circulation is known as El Niño Southern
Oscillation or ENSO