Lesson: Atmospheric Circulation. Atmospheric Circulation describes the large-scale movement of air around the globe. It varies throughout the year with annual cycles (like seasons) and longer-term cycles but for the most part it is roughly constant.
Are air currents everywhere?
Air currents are not only found in the troposphere, but extend to the stratosphere and mesosphere.
How do air currents occur?
Air currents are caused by the sun’s uneven heating of the Earth. As sunlight beams down on the Earth, it warms some areas, particularly the tropics, more than others. As the Earth’s surface is heated, it warms the air just above it. The warmed air expands and becomes lighter than the surrounding air.
What is the difference between wind and air currents?
Answer and Explanation: Wind is air that flows horizontally. An air current is a more organized concentrated arrangement of wind that flows in the same general direction. An air current is also more vertical in movement compared to wind.
What do you mean by air currents?
a mass of air moving from one area to another. the strength of the rising air current caused by the hills.
What is another word for air current?
blast, northerly, Catabatic Wind, Santa Ana, calm air, northwester, prevailing wind, sou’wester, languor, northwest wind, squall, southeaster, fohn, blow, chinook, Khamsin, east wind, katabatic wind, easterly, gentle wind, breeze, snow eater, headwind, calm, south wind, north wind, southerly, Chinook Wind, easter, …
How many wind currents are there?
The Earth contains five major wind zones: polar easterlies, westerlies, horse latitudes, trade winds, and the doldrums. Polar easterlies are dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the east. They emanate from the polar highs, areas of high pressure around the North and South Poles.
How do air currents affect climate?
Air Currents
Prevailing winds bring air from one type of climate to another. For example, warm winds that travel over water tend to collect moisture as they travel; the water vapor in the air will condense as it moves into colder climates, which is why temperate coastal areas often receive heavy rainfall.
How do wind currents work?
The air and wind currents definition is air moving from high to low pressure areas. The prevailing air currents happen when air flows from a high pressure zone to a low pressure zone. These currents, which also affect the flow of ocean currents, influence both our local weather and global climate.
What does current mean in weather?
adj. 1 of the immediate present; in progress. current events. 2 most recent; up-to-date.
Who Discovered air currents?
Discovery. The first indications of this phenomenon came from American professor Elias Loomis in the 1800s, when he proposed a powerful air current in the upper air blowing west to east across the United States as an explanation for the behaviour of major storms.
What are upper air currents?
Jet streams are currents of air high above the Earth. They move eastward at altitudes of about 8 to 15 kilometers (5 to 9 miles). They form where large temperature differences exist in the atmosphere.
How does an air current set up between two regions?
Air current can be set up between two regions having different temperatures. Hot air rises and cold air sinks, so air currents form when the atmosphere moves excess hot air from the warmer low latitudes to cooler high latitudes, and cool air rushes into replace it.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_current
- https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/current/
- https://study.com/academy/answer/what-is-the-difference-between-wind-and-air-currents.html
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/air-current
- https://www.thesaurus.net/air%20current
- https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/wind/
- https://sciencing.com/do-currents-affect-weather-climate-7735765.html
- https://sciencing.com/do-air-currents-work-6736759.html
- https://dictionary.reverso.net/english-definition/current+weather
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_stream
- https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/jet-stream/
- https://www.meritnation.com/ask-answer/question/how-does-an-air-current-set-up-between-two-region/winds-storms-and-cyclones/14112665