Atmospheric Circulation 1 Convection Cells The source of

Atmospheric Circulation 1. Convection Cells The source of this material is the COMET Website at http: //meted. ucar. edu/ of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), sponsored in part through cooperative agreement(s) with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U. S. Department of Commerce (DOC). © 1997 -2013 University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. All Rights Reserved.

Atmospheric Circulation 1. Convection Cells Author unknown

Atmospheric Circulation 2. Coriolis Effect Since the planet is a sphere, the rotational speed of Earth’s surface at the equator is greater than the rotational speed north or south of the equator. NASA

Atmospheric Circulation 2. Coriolis Effect Momentum: Matter (air, for example) that has a rotational speed based on its latitude tends to maintain that rotational speed (momentum) even after it moves to a different latitude. Author unknown

Image from NASA's Remote Sensing Tutorial: The Water Planet - Meteorological, Oceanographic and Hydrologic Applications of Remote Sensing. http: //rst. gsfc. nasa. gov/Sect 14_1 c. html

The global wind patterns make sense only after understanding the circulation that results from the Hadley, Ferrell, and Polar cells, and the way in which that circulation is deflected by the Coriolis effect.

Ocean Circulation Wind Driven Surface Currents NOAA

Ocean Circulation Thermohaline Circulation NOAA