In simple terms, the Coriolis Effect makes things like planes or currents of air traveling long distances around the Earth appear to move at a curve as opposed to a straight line. Think about this: It takes the Earth 24 hours to rotate one time. If you are standing a foot to the right of the North or South Pole, that means it would take 24 hours to move in a circle that is about six feet in circumference.
Hop on down to the equator, though, and things are different. It still takes the Earth the same 24 hours to make a rotation, but this time we are traveling the entire circumference of the planet, which is about 25, miles long. That means you are traveling almost miles per hour just by standing there. Shorter distance to travel in the same amount of time means slower speeds closer to the poles. So even though we are all on Earth, how far we are from the equator determines our forward speed.
The farther we are from the equator, the slower we move. In between these wind bands lie regions of high and low pressure.
High pressure zones occur where air is descending, while low pressure zones indicate rising air. Along the equator the rising air creates a low pressure region called the doldrums , or the Intertropical Convergence Zone ITCZ convergence zone because this is where the trade winds converge. At 30 o latitude there are high pressure zones of descending air known as the horse latitudes , or the subtropical highs.
Finally, at 60 o lies another low pressure region called the polar front. It should be noted that these high and low pressure zones are not fixed in place; their latitude fluctuates depending on the season, and these fluctuations have important implications for regional climates. These may seem like some odd names for these atmospheric phenomena, but many of them can be traced back to maritime traditions and lore.
The doldrums refer to regions of low pressure around the equator. In these areas, air is rising rather than moving horizontally, so these regions commonly encounter very light winds. Like the doldrums the horse latitudes are also areas with light winds, this time due to descending air, which could leave ships becalmed. The timing of this ceremony often coincided with reaching the horse latitudes, leading to the association of the ceremony with the location. This could be a common occurrence in the high pressure zones around 30 o latitude, so they were referred to as the horse latitudes.
Mariners sailing from Europe to the New World could sail south until they reached the trade winds, which would then propel their ships across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. To return to Europe, ships could sail to the northeast until they entered the westerlies , which would then steer them back to Europe. Winds blow away from high pressure zones 8. Winds blow towards low pressure regions, which are often characterized by precipitation from rising, cooling, condensing air 8.
Figure 8. Air rises at the equator and sinks at the poles, creating a single convection cell in each hemisphere. Horse latitudes? James J. Apr 15, At the poles. Explanation: This is one of the things I find most difficult to explain. Related questions How do I determine the molecular shape of a molecule?
What is the lewis structure for co2? What is the lewis structure for hcn? How is vsepr used to classify molecules? What are the units used for the ideal gas law?
0コメント