Climate

Climate

1. Ocean Currents

   • Surface currents
     • North and South Atlantic Ocean Circulation
       • moves westwards
       • moves warm water away from the equator
     • Arctic Ocean Circulation
       • Warm currents enter the Arctic ocean from the want Gulf Stream coming along North America.
       • Cold water exits on the other side of the Arctic ocean through the Bering strait.
       • moves cool water toward the equator
     • Southern Pacific and Antarctica Circumpolar Circulation Currents
       • At the equator, they move westward
       • At the South pole, they move eastward
       • Antarctica has no other continental plate nearby. Therefore, water is free to circulate around the Antarctic continent
   • Deepwater currents
     • creates:
       • Thermohaline Currents
         • Difference of Density
           • fresh warm water rises
           • warm salt water mixes with cool water causing cool salty water to sink
     • is caused by:
       • warm, less saltier water to rise
       • cold, salty water to sink

2. Atmosphere

   • Atmospheric Pressure
     • Winds flow from high pressure regions toward low pressure regions.
     • Larges changes in pressures = higher wind speeds
   • Circulation of Wind
     • is caused by:
       • Rotation of the Earth
         • is the main cause of:
           • The Coriolis Effect
             • causes air to move:
               • North Hemisphere
                 • counterclockwise; spirals to the right
                 • towards the poles; deflecting to the east
               • Southern Hemisphere
                 • clockwise; spirals to the left
                 • towards the equator; deflecting to the west
       • Energy from the Sun
         • is the main cause of:
           • Flow Cells
             • The Hadley Cell
               • close to the equator
                 • Intertropical Convergence Zone
                   • produces lots of storms
                   • Convergence of two high pressure systems
                     • Tropic of Cancer
                     • Tropic of Capricorn
                 • warm air since it receives a lot of sunlight
             • The Polar Cell
               • near the North and South poles
             • The Ferrel Cell
               • near mid-lattitudes
             • dumps dry air causing deserts
             • Warm air rises near the equator to high lattitudes, then loses heat at poles. Cooler and denser air descends to the equator, warms it up; cycle repeats