All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is the approximate latitude range of the trade winds?
Answer: Between 0° and 30° latitude. Tropical belt where Hadley Cell circulation creates consistent easterly winds.
Flashcard 2: Which winds are most affected by the Coriolis effect?
Answer: Winds moving over long distances. Coriolis effect is strongest when winds travel great distances across latitudes.
Flashcard 3: What is the primary role of global wind patterns in Earth's climate?
Answer: Distributing heat and moisture around the planet. Transport thermal energy from warm equatorial regions to cooler polar areas.
Flashcard 4: What is the main function of the Ferrel Cell?
Answer: To circulate air between 30° and 60° latitude. Mid-latitude circulation cell that transfers energy between tropical and polar regions.
Flashcard 5: Identify the main characteristic of polar easterlies.
Answer: Cold, dry winds blowing from the east near the poles. High-latitude winds flowing from polar high-pressure areas toward lower latitudes.
Flashcard 6: What is the primary effect of the polar front on weather?
Answer: It creates stormy conditions where cold and warm air meet. Boundary zone where contrasting air masses create unstable weather conditions.
Flashcard 7: What is the primary cause of the Coriolis effect?
Answer: Earth's rotation. Spinning planet deflects moving objects, including air masses and winds.
Flashcard 8: How does the Coriolis effect influence the direction of cyclones?
Answer: Cyclones rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Coriolis deflection creates rotational motion in low-pressure storm systems.
Flashcard 9: Which winds are most affected by the Coriolis effect?
Answer: Winds moving over long distances. Coriolis effect is strongest when winds travel great distances across latitudes.
Flashcard 10: Which direction do the trade winds blow in the Northern Hemisphere?
Answer: From the northeast to the southwest. Coriolis effect deflects easterly winds toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere.
Flashcard 11: What is the primary role of the subtropical jet stream?
Answer: To separate tropical and subtropical air masses. High-altitude wind current marking the boundary between tropical and temperate zones.
Flashcard 12: Which direction do the trade winds blow in the Southern Hemisphere?
Answer: From the southeast to the northwest. Coriolis effect deflects easterly winds toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
Flashcard 13: What is the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)?
Answer: A region where the trade winds converge near the equator. Low-pressure zone where rising air creates clouds and precipitation.
Flashcard 14: What is the primary direction of the polar jet stream?
Answer: From west to east in the upper atmosphere. High-altitude wind current flowing along the boundary between polar and warmer air.
Flashcard 15: What occurs at the ITCZ?
Answer: Rising air and frequent thunderstorms. Convergence zone where warm, moist air rises and creates tropical weather.
Flashcard 16: What is the primary characteristic of the horse latitudes?
Answer: A region of high pressure and calm winds. Subtropical belt around 30° latitude where descending air creates stable conditions.
Flashcard 17: What causes the variability of the polar jet stream?
Answer: Temperature differences between cold polar air and warmer air. Temperature gradients between air masses determine jet stream strength and position.
Flashcard 18: What happens to air at the equator due to solar heating?
Answer: It rises, creating low pressure. Intense solar heating causes thermal expansion and upward air movement.
Flashcard 19: Which global wind pattern is responsible for the Sahara Desert's dry conditions?
Answer: The descending limb of the Hadley Cell. High-pressure zone at 30°N creates dry, sinking air over desert regions.
Flashcard 20: What is the significance of the polar cell in global wind patterns?
Answer: It circulates cold air from the poles toward lower latitudes. High-latitude circulation that transports cold polar air toward warmer regions.
Flashcard 21: How do global wind patterns influence global precipitation patterns?
Answer: They determine regions of high and low rainfall. Rising and sinking air patterns control where deserts and rainforests form.
Flashcard 22: What is the direction of the movement of air in the Ferrel Cell?
Answer: Air moves poleward and eastward. Mid-latitude circulation driven by interaction between Hadley and Polar cells.
Flashcard 23: Name the cell that circulates air between the equator and 30° latitude.
Answer: The Hadley Cell. Tropical circulation pattern extending from equatorial heating to subtropical highs.
Flashcard 24: What is the relationship between global winds and the jet stream?
Answer: The jet stream is a band of strong winds in the upper atmosphere. High-altitude rivers of fast-moving air that steer surface weather systems.
Flashcard 25: What is the primary cause of monsoon winds?
Answer: Differential heating of land and sea. Seasonal temperature contrasts between continents and oceans drive wind reversals.
Flashcard 26: Why do global wind patterns shift seasonally?
Answer: Due to Earth's axial tilt and orbit. Earth's orbital position changes solar heating patterns throughout the year.
Flashcard 27: What is the main characteristic of the doldrums?
Answer: A region of calm winds near the equator. Also called ITCZ, where converging trade winds create light variable winds.
Flashcard 28: What is the impact of global wind patterns on ocean currents?
Answer: They help drive surface ocean currents. Wind friction drags surface water, creating circulation patterns in ocean basins.
Flashcard 29: What causes the seasonal shift of the ITCZ?
Answer: The tilt of Earth's axis and its orbit around the sun. Seasonal solar angle changes move the zone of maximum heating north and south.
Flashcard 30: What type of global wind pattern is found at high latitudes?
Answer: Polar easterlies. Cold winds from polar regions flowing eastward toward lower latitudes.