Transcript Coriolis Effect - Prevailing Wind

Prevailing
Wind
Patterns
Weather Dynamics Unit
Science 10
Mrs. S. Pipke-Painchaud
Wind
“Movement of air in the atmosphere”
(Nelson Science 10 516).
Local or Regional Winds:
– Occur in a localized or small area
Prevailing Winds:
– Winds that affect large areas
(Nelson Science 10 516)
Coriolis Effect
Named after Gaspard deCoriolis
http://www.theozonehole.com/c
oriolis.htm
– French Mathematician
Because of the Earth’s rotation anything moving long
distances appear to change direction
– “apparent change of direction in a moving object in
a rotating system is called the Coriolis Effect”
(Nelson Science 10 516).
(NS10 516)
– “tendency for any moving body on or above the
earth's surface, e.g., an ocean current or an artillery
round, to drift sideways from its course because of
the earth's rotation” (InfoPlease.com)
Earth rotates Eastward
– Northern Hemisphere (counterclockwise) –
move to right
– Southern Hemisphere (Clockwise) – move to
left
Noticed the least at the equator and most
at the poles
http://www.worldstats.org/general_world/maps/prevailing_winds_big.shtml
http://re
search.
haifa.ac
.il/~mari
time/de
partm/l
essons/
ocean/
wwr199
.gif
Convection Currents
Video:
http://www.wfu.edu/physics/demolabs/dem
os/4/4b/4B2010.html
http://www.wfu.edu/physics/demolabs/dem
os/avimov/byalpha/cdvideos.html
Please refer to page 517 in your textbook
– Figure 2
– Skim through the information on page 516
Paragraph 2 “to understand why the …”
In 1492, Christopher Columbus relied on two
important prevailing winds to sail to the Americas
and home again.
– A) What wind did he use to travel to America?
– B) What wind did he use to travel home?
A) Northeast trade winds
B) Mid-Latitude westerlies
Animations
Exploring Earth
– **http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_scie
nce/terc/content/visualizations/es1904/es1904
page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization
– http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_scienc
e/terc/content/visualizations/es1905/es1905p
age01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization
Danish Wind Industry Association
– http://www.windpower.org/en/tour/wres/corioli
s.htm
Causes of Prevailing Winds
Please read through pages 518-519
– First five paragraphs
Jet Stream:
– “a current of fast moving air found in the upper atmosphere”
(Univ. Illinois).
– Can be 1000s of km long
– Few 100 km wide
– Few km thick
– Generally, located 10-15 km up
– The position of this upper-level jet stream denotes the location of
the strongest SURFACE temperature contrast” (Univ. Illinois).
– http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cyc/upa/jet.rxml
Jet Stream Maps
Jet Steam Images:
– http://www.weatherimages.org/data/imag192.html
Environment Canada:
– http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/jet_stream/index_e.html
Weather.com
– http://www.weather.com/maps/activity/aviation/saturd
ayusjetstream_large.html
California Weather Service
– http://virga.sfsu.edu/scripts/namjetstream_modelsml.h
tml
Effects of Prevailing Winds
– Distribute solar energy from equator to poles
(move air around the earth)
– Convection currents enable a return of cold
air south
– Carry moisture
– Help to cause a variety of precipitation types
– “Remember that rising air tends to be warm
and moist, while falling air tends to be cool
and dry” (Nelson Science 10 519).
Nelson Science 10 519
Consider where convection currents meet
– Equator: cloudy and rainy
– 30* North Latitude: cool, dry falling air (desert like
conditions)
Gobi (As), Sahara (Af), Mojave (NA), Great Basin (NA) and
Sonoran (NA)
Deserts of North America (info on Hot and Cold Deserts of
the world)
– http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/desert/ofworld.htm
– 60* North Latitude: 2 air systems meet
Unsettled conditions
Storms are stronger in the winter (because the Arctic
receives no light = cold = greater temp difference from
equator)
Nelson Science 10 519
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-desert-map.htm
Earth from Different Perspectives
**Exploring Earth (examine sea temperatures,
earthquakes, etc.)
– http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/c
ontent/visualizations/es0101/es0101page01.cfm?cha
pter_no=visualization
Environment Canada
– Wind Info:
http://lavoieverte.qc.ec.gc.ca/meteo/Documentation/Vent_e.h
tml
International Polar Foundation:
– Katabatic and Anabatic Winds
http://www.antarctica.org/UK/Envirn/pag/vents_cata_UK.htm
Sources:
Nelson Science 10 Textbook
Infoplease. Infoplease.com. Coriolis Effect
– http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/weather/A081
3558.html
University of Illinois
– Jet Stream:
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr
/cyc/upa/jet.rxml