ATMOSPHERIC

PRESSURE
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
Force exerted on earths surface by
weight of the atmosphere

Gravity draws mass of air to earths

surface

Main components of atmosphere

Concentrated in lowest 12 km
ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
Pressure decreases with increasing altitude

If the atmosphere was not in motion, the

pressure of all the places at the same
altitude would be the same

Rate of vertical decrease in pressure is not

the same in all places because of
differences in temperature and density of
the air
Rate is faster in some areas and seasons
than in others
ISOBAR

Lines on a map joining places with the

same pressure
PRESSURE GRADIENT
Change in horizontal pressure

Difference in air pressure between two places

Pressure gradient results in a force that is directed

from high to low pressure at right angles to the
isobar
Pressure gradient force
Results in winds which flow from polar (high
pressure) to tropical (low pressure) regions

Great difference in pressure

Great force
Strong winds
FORCES THAT ACT UPON WIND
AND OBJECTS IN MOTION
1) Atmospheric Pressure

2) Coriolis Force

3) Geostrophic Winds

4) Friction
CORIOLIS FORCE
Results from the earths rotation
Changes the direction of wind
Winds are deflected to the right of their

path in the northern hemisphere

Winds are deflected to the left of their

path in the southern hemisphere

Direction of the Coriolis force is

perpendicular to the direction of air

movement
CORIOLIS FORCE
Amount of deflection varies with the speed
of movement of the air and the latitude
Deflection is greater in strong winds
Does not influence wind speed
Absent at the equator
Increases towards the poles
Winds do not blow directly across pressure

gradient
Winds follow a curved path
GEOSTROPHIC WINDS
Diagram shows air mass moving from high pressure to low
pressure under the pressure gradient force in the northern
hemisphere

As air mass starts to move, it is deflected to the right by

the Coriolis force

Deflection increases until the

Coriolis force is balanced by the
pressure gradient force

Wind blows parallel

to isobars
FRICTION
Close to the earth
Friction caused by contact with the earths

surface
Slows winds
Reduces the effect of the Coriolis force which no
longer balances the pressure gradient force
Makes the pressure gradient force more
dominant
Wind blows across isobars
HADLEY CELL

FERREL CELL

POLAR CELL
TRI-CELLULAR MODEL
Air moves
High to low pressure areas

Tri-cellular model of atmospheric

circulation
Gives a general understanding of how
atmosphere functions
TRI-CELLULAR MODEL
Based on fact that there are insolation differences
between the Equator and Poles

Tilt of the earth and earths orbit around Sun

Poles have energy deficit
Equator has energy surplus

Atmospheric system is out of balance

Tri-cellular model of atmospheric circulation

Equalises energy differences
HADLEY CELL
Doldrums
Area of intense low pressure
At Equator
Intense heating of the earths surface

(convection)
Forces air to rise through the
Troposphere
Some air migrates northwards in the upper

Troposphere
Air then flows toward the North and South

Poles
HADLEY CELL
Air rises
Air cools
Forms clouds
Air meets air moving down from the Ferrel Cell
Clouds sink to Earths surface at around 30N

and S of the Equator

Creates a band of high pressure in the

subtropics called the subtropical high

Some air migrates (because of Pressure

gradient force) back to the low pressure area at

the equator to complete the Hadley cell
Air returns as surface wind
Trade winds
HADLEY CELL
FERREL CELL
Movement is the reverse of the airflow in
the Hadley cell
FERREL CELL
Some air from equator moves towards the poles
to continue equalising the temperature
differences

Air reaches 60N and S

Air reaches cold polar air that

is migrating south

This is the second convergence

zone where two surface air streams
meet

FERREL CELL
Causes warmer, less dense tropical air to
rise through the atmosphere

This creates an area of low surface pressure

Some air migrates back towards the

Equator

This air sinks at 30N and S

This forms the Ferrell cell

FERREL CELL
At the surface, air flowing poleward is
deflected to the east by the Coriolis force
Results in westerly surface winds
Air flows poleward and eastward near

surface
Air flows equatorward and westward at

higher altitudes
POLAR CELL
Rest of the air migrates to the poles
Air cools loses its heat
Air sinks
Creates high pressure in the Polar Regions
This is a weak polar cell
Air flows out of polar high pressure towards

the Polar front as the variable polar

easterlies
Creates a desert at the north and

south poles
 WINDS
IN THE
UPPER
TROPOSPHERE
WINDS
Pressure gradient force drives winds from
polar to tropical regions
The direction of movement is in the

opposite direction in the upper troposphere

because the pressure gradient is reversed
At the poles, dense polar air is concentrated

at the ground and the pressure aloft is low

High wind speeds develop at the polar front

in the upper air far from the frictional drag

of the earth

 WINDS
Named from the direction in which they
originate
 EASTERLIES begin in the
EAST
Polar easterlies form when the atmosphere

over the poles cools

Cool air then sinks and spreads over the

surface

As air flows away from poles, it is

turned to the west by the
Coriolis effect
WESTERLIES begin in the WEST
Between thirty and sixty degrees latitude
Winds that move toward the poles appear to
curve to the east
Responsible for weather movements in United States
and Canada
TRADE WINDS

Sun heats up air at Equator

Air rises and creates an area of low

pressure at Equator
Air cools and sinks back to the Earth at

the tropics north and south of the Equator

This creates areas of high pressure at the

tropics
 TRADE WINDS
Air moves from the high pressure tropics
to the low pressure equator
This creates the trade winds
The north east and south east

trade winds are the main winds

influencing weather in the
Caribbean
TRADE WINDS
Air movements toward the equator
Trade winds coming from the south and the

north meet near the equator

Converging trade winds produce general

upward winds as they are heated

There are no steady surface winds
TRADE WINDS
Warm, steady breezes that blow almost
continuously

Coriolis Effect makes the trade winds

appear to be curving to the west, whether
they are traveling to the equator from the
south or north
ROSSBY WAVES
Waves meander
Meanders in the upper westerlies

Rossby waves
Common in certain areas
Produced when winds encounter barriers,

are forced to rise and descend under the

force of gravity
They are present where there are

substantial mountain barriers

Rockies and the Plateau of Tibet (Asia)
ROSSBY WAVES
Formed when polar air moves toward the
Equator while tropical air is moving poleward

Because of the temperature difference

between the Equator and the poles due to
differences in the amounts of solar radiation
received, heat tends to flow from low to high
latitudes

Tropical air carries heat poleward

Polar air absorbs heat as it moves toward the

Equator
ROSSBY WAVES
Rossby waves are a dominant component of
the Ferrel circulation
ROSSBY WAVES
Existence of these waves explains the low-
pressure cells (cyclones) and high-pressure
cells (anticyclones) that are important in
producing the weather of the middle and
higher latitudes
ROSSBY WAVES
Diagram shows location of wave over North
America and the Atlantic
As wave develops

Cold polar air migrates southwards and is

surrounded by warmer tropical air
Warm tropical air moves northwards and is
surrounded by cold polar air
ROSSBY WAVES
Air flows faster on the poleward
than on the equatorial curve
These changes in speed have a profound

effect on the weather patterns on the

ground for they are responsible for highs
and lows in the mid-latitudes
ROSSBY WAVES
When upper air accelerates over the
Atlantic Ocean, it pulls up air from the lower
atmosphere and creates the low pressure
which attracts polar and tropical air masses

Result is cooling, condensation and cloudy

weather
ROSSBY WAVES

When air slows down there is a piling up of

air behind from the faster moving air

Excess air sinks to the ground creating high

pressure and anticyclone weather
conditions
ROSSBY WAVES
In upper troposphere
Follow undulating path
Move along the Polar Front
Approximately 60 North and South
Cold air mixes with warm
Set in motion by Coriolis force
Long waves form along boundary between the

colder and warmer air

Number of meanders varies with seasons

4 to 6 in summer
3 in winter
 JET STREAMS
Velocity within Rossby waves is not uniform
Rossby waves contain narrow bands of high

velocity air
Form along Polar front and along Hadley cell in

subtropics in both hemispheres

Meander
Move from west to east
JET STREAMS
Winds may be as high as 200km/hr
Winds help in transfer of energy around the

globe
Found in the atmosphere around 10km

above the surface of the earth

Form at the boundaries of adjacent air

masses with significant differences in

temperature
Such as polar region and the warmer air to the
south
JET STREAMS
Five in all
Three of importance

Polar jet stream

Subtropical jet stream
Equatorial jet stream
 POLAR JET STREAMS (PJS)
Strongest jet stream
Develops between the Ferrel and Polar cells

Boundary between polar and tropical air

Around 40 60o north and south
Associated with development of depressions and

anticyclones
Develop at 912 km (30,00039,000 ft) above

sea level
 POLAR JET STREAMS (PJS)
Responsible for fine or wet weather:
When it loops southwards
Carries cold air
Descends in clockwise direction
Stable conditions
Anticyclones
 POLAR JET STREAMS (PJS)
Responsible for fine or wet weather:
When it streams back north
Carries warm air
Air rises
Moves in anticlockwise direction
Heavy rainfall
Cyclones
 SUB TROPICAL JET STREAM (SJS)
Develops between the Hadley and Ferrel cells
Weaker move slower and meander less than

PJS
Occurs about 25 to 30 from the Equator
May contain jet streaks

Move faster than surroundings

Influence storm formation
Develops at 016 km (33,00052,000 ft)
EQUATORIAL JET STREAM
Develops in equatorial areas
Seasonal
JET STREAMS
The Northern and Southern hemisphere
each have a polar jet and a subtropical jet
The northern hemisphere polar jet

Flows over the middle to northern latitudes of

North America, Europe, and Asia and their
intervening oceans
Southern hemisphere polar jet
Circles Antarctica all year round
SUMMARY
Primary circulation on Earth:
By Equatorially heated Hadley Cell
Polar Cell
Ferrel cell is weaker intermediate zone
Weather systems move through driven by:
Polar jet stream (boundary between Ferrel and
Polar cell)
Tropical jet stream (boundary between Ferrel
and Hadley cells)
Jet streams have irregular paths as the
convective instabilities migrate
Drive many cold and warm fronts which move
through Ferrel Cell
CYCLONE
Large system of winds
Circulates about a centre of low

atmospheric pressure
Counter-clockwise direction north of the

Equator
Clockwise direction south of the Equator
Associated with rain or snow
ANTICYCLONE
Wind systems
Rotate about a high-pressure centre
Flow opposite to cyclones

Outward-spiralling motion
Winds rotate clockwise in Northern
Hemisphere
Winds rotate counter clockwise in Southern

Hemisphere
Winds not as strong as cyclones
No precipitation