Winds Essay, Research Paper

Michael Zakrzewski March 31, 1999

Mr. Oshogobor G001

Earth Science Report: Winds

There are two general types of air currents, local air currents and planetary air currents. Local

air currents blow from any way and normally cover short distances. Global air currents

blow from a specific way and about ever cover longer distances than local

air currents. Both local air currents and planetary air currents are caused by differences in air force per unit area

due to unequal warming of the ambiance.

During the twenty-four hours, the air over a land country is frequently warmer than the air over a

nearby lake or sea. The air is warmer because the land heats up faster than the

H2O. As the warm air over the land rises, the ice chest air over the sea moves inland

to tale its topographic point. This flow of air from the sea to the land is called a sea zephyr.

During the dark, the land cools off faster than the H2O. The air over the sea

is now warmer than the air over the land. This warm air over the sea rises. The

ice chest air over the land moves to replace the lifting warm air over the sea. A flow of

air from the land to the sea is called a land zephyr. A land zephyr is besides called an

off-shore zephyr.

The name of a air current tells you from which way the air current is blowing. A

land zephyr blows from the land to the sea. A sea zephyr blows from the sea to the

land. Most local air currents that we are familiar with are named harmonizing to the

way from which they are blowing. A major land and sea zephyr is called a

monsoon. A monsoon is a seasonal air current. During portion of the twelvemonth, a monsoon

blows from the land to the ocean. During the remainder of the twelvemonth, it blows from ocean

to the land. When a monsoon blows from the ocean to the land, it brings in warm,

moist air. This consequences in a rainy season with warm temperatures and immense sums

of rain. The rainy season is of import to many because it provides the H2O needed

for farming. Monsoon air currents are really common in Asia.

Unequal warming of the Earth? s surface besides forms big planetary air current systems.

In countries near the equator the Sun is about straight overhead for most of the twelvemonth.

The direct beams of the Sun heat the Earth? s surface. The polar parts receive

slanting beams from the Sun. The slanting beams do non heat the Earth? s surface as

quickly as the direct beams do. So temperatures near the poles are lower than those

near the equator. At the equator, the warm air rises and moves toward the poles.

At the poles, the ice chest air sinks and moves toward the equator. This motion

produces a planetary form of air circulation.

Global air currents do non travel straight from north to south or from south to north.

Because the Earth rotates, or spins on its axis, from West to east, the waies of the

air currents displacement in relation to the Earth? s surface. All air currents in the Nor

thern Hemisphere

curve to the right as thy move. In the Southern Hemisphere, winds curve to the left.

This displacement in wind way is called Coriolis consequence. The Coriolis consequence is the

evident displacement in the way of any fluid or object traveling above the surface of the

Earth due to the rotary motion of the Earth. At any peculiar clip or topographic point local

conditions may act upon and alter the air current form.

At the Equator surface air currents are rather unagitated. These air currents are called the

stagnations. A belt of air around the equator receives much of the Sun? s radiant

energy. The warm rise air produces a low force per unit area country that extends many

kilometres north and South of the Equator. Cooler high force per unit area air would normaly

flow into such an country making air currents. But the ice chest air is warmed so quickly near

the Equator that the air currents which form can non travel into the low force per unit area country. As

a consequence any air currents that do non organize are weak.

About 30 grades north and South of the equator the warm air lifting from the

equator cools and begins to drop. Here, the sky is normally clear. There are few

clouds and small rainfall. At Equus caballus latitudes some of the droping air travels back

toward the equator. The remainder of the droping air continues to travel toward the poles.

The air traveling back toward the equator forms a belt of warm steady air currents. These

air currents are called trade air currents. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis consequence

deflects the trade winds to the right. These air currents called the nor’-east trades, blow

from nor’-east to southwest. In the Southern Hemisphere the trade air currents are

deflected to the left.

The cool sinking air that continues to travel toward the North and South poles

is besides influenced by the Coriolis consequence. In the Northern Hemisphere the air is

deflected to the right. In the Southern Hemisphere it is deflected to the left. So in

both hemispheres the air currents appear to go west to east. These air currents are called

the prevailing westerlies. Unlike the trade winds the prevailing westerlies are frequently

strong air currents.

In both hemispheres the westerlies start lifting and chilling between 50

grades and 60 grades latitude as they approach the poles. Here they meet

highly cold air fluxing towards the equator from the poles. This set of cold air

is deflected West by the Coriolis consequence. As a consequence the air currents appear to go from

E to west and they are called the polar east winds. The polar east winds are cold

but weak air currents.

Meteorologists and conditions perceivers use a air current vane to find the

way of the air current on the Earth? s surface. A air current vane points in to the air current. An

wind gauge is used to mensurate wind velocity. Wind velocity is normally expressed in

metres per second, stat mis per second or knots. One knot is equal to 1,850 metres

per hr.