Copy of GlobalWinds,Worksheet

.docx

School

Harvard University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

Subject

Geography

Date

Apr 3, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by BaronHorsePerson1046 on coursehero.com

Global Winds Worksheet Read the Explore information and answer the Explain questions in your own words. Explore: The winds in Indiana can blow from any direction on any given day, but weather systems almost always travel from the west to the east. If you look at the weather in Illinois today, you might expect that weather tomorrow in Indiana. That is because we live in an area called the Prevailing Westerlies where weather is pushed from west to east. The Earth has definite wind patterns. These patterns are a result of how the Sun heats the Earth combined with the rotation of the Earth. These wind patterns influence the types of climate around the world. Explain: what do you think? (You do not have to know these answers!) ● How might the Sun have an effect on global wind patterns? I don’t know maybe the heat makes wind go a certain way ● How might the rotation of the Earth affect global wind patterns? Maybe the Earth rotating makes wind patterns rotate I dunno. Explore There must be a force that causes the air to move or we would not have wind. Air that is moving across the surface of the earth is called wind. The Sun heats the surface of the Earth and the surface heats the air. The equator receives the most direct sunlight and the poles receive the least amount of sunlight. The surface at the equator is very humid. Rain forests and ocean surfaces are plentiful at the equator adding more humidity to the air. Humid air is less dense than dry air, just as warmer air is less dense than cooler air. The air at the poles is cooler and water vapor does not exist well in cooler air. Therefore, the cool, dry air at the poles is much denser than the warm, humid air at the equator. Explain What You Learned: ● Why is the air less dense at the equator than at the poles? Because the surface at the equator is very humid and rain forests and ocean surfaces are plentiful at the equator, adding more humidity to the air. Humid air is less dense than dry air, just like warmer air is less dense than cooler air. The air at the poles is cooler and water vapor doesn’t exist well in cooler air. Therefore, the cool, dry air at the poles is much denser than the warm, humid air at the equator. ● In the above diagram labeled with the “EQUATOR”, why is the air rising?

Air near the equator is warmed and rises because it is less dense than the air around it. ● How is the surface air moving; toward the equator or away from the equator? Away from the equator. ● How is upper air moving; toward the equator or away from the equator? Towards the equator. Explore If global winds were only affected by the heating of the Sun, global winds would look like this diagram. The Equator would become very hot and humid causing that air to rise and flow toward the poles. At the poles the air would cool and sink returning to the Equator along the surface. The Earth is rotating and this prevents the air from traveling in a straight line. The Earth’s rotation forces the air to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere resulting in a global pattern described in the following diagram: This creates six bands of circulation, three in the northern hemisphere and three in the southern hemisphere. The diagram is labeled with three numbered areas with each named cell. The surface winds in each cell are also named. 1. The Hadley Cell is named after George Hadley (1685-1768) an amateur meteorologist who suggested that they existed. The air rises at the equator (0°) and sinks at about 30° N and S latitude moving back toward the equator at the surface. These surface winds are called Trade Winds and are winds blowing generally from east to west. Hurricanes develop in the Trade Winds. 2. The Ferrel Cell , suggested by William Ferrel (1817-1891), describes the sinking air at 30° N and S latitude as moving also northward. This northward surface air is deflected to the right by the Earth’s rotation becoming surface winds blowing generally from west to east. This area, between 30° latitude and 60° latitude, forms an area known as the Prevailing Westerlies (sometimes known as the Stormy Westerlies). 3. The final cell in the diagram is known as the Polar Cell . Here air rises at 60° latitude and moves toward the poles (90°) where the air cools and sinks. This results in surface winds moving generally from east to west known as the Polar Easterlies. The sinking air creates polar deserts,

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help