Global wind belts, jet streams, and the atmospheric circulation patterns that drive Earth's weather, one concept per card.
30 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- What are trade winds?
- Winds in the tropics (0-30 degrees) that blow from the subtropical high-pressure zones toward the equator, deflected by Coriolis to flow from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.
- What are prevailing westerlies?
- Winds between 30-60 degrees latitude that blow from the subtropical high-pressure zones toward the polar low-pressure zones, deflected by Coriolis to blow from the west.
- What are polar easterlies?
- Cold winds that blow from the polar high-pressure zones toward 60 degrees latitude, deflected by Coriolis to blow from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.
- What is a Hadley cell?
- An atmospheric circulation pattern in the tropics where air rises at the equator, moves poleward at high altitude, sinks at approximately 30 degrees latitude, and returns equatorward at the surface as trade winds.
- What is a Ferrel cell?
- A mid-latitude atmospheric circulation pattern where air rises at approximately 60 degrees latitude, moves poleward at high altitude, sinks at approximately 30 degrees latitude, and returns equatorward as westerlies.
- What is a polar cell?
- A high-latitude atmospheric circulation pattern where air rises at approximately 60 degrees latitude, moves poleward at high altitude, sinks at the poles, and returns equatorward as polar easterlies.
- What are jet streams?
- Fast-moving currents of air in the upper atmosphere, typically at 7-16 kilometers altitude, that flow from west to east and can exceed speeds of 100 meters per second.
- At what latitude does the polar front jet stream form?
- Between 40-60 degrees latitude in the mid-latitudes, marking the boundary between tropical and polar air masses.
- At what latitude does the subtropical jet stream form?
- Between 25-35 degrees latitude, forming where the Hadley and Ferrel circulation cells meet.
- What is the Coriolis effect?
- The apparent deflection of moving objects due to Earth's rotation, causing moving air to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
- What are the doldrums?
- A region of very light, variable winds at the equator (0-5 degrees latitude), caused by rising air and the absence of strong pressure gradients.
- What are the horse latitudes?
- Regions of light, variable winds near 30 degrees latitude (north and south), where sinking air suppresses wind formation and creates high-pressure zones.
- What are the Roaring Forties?
- Strong, persistent westerly winds between 40-50 degrees latitude in the Southern Hemisphere, where minimal land area allows unobstructed wind movement.
- Where is the equatorial low-pressure zone?
- At the equator (0 degrees latitude), where rising air creates a persistent belt of low pressure called the Intertropical Convergence Zone.
- Where are subtropical high-pressure zones located?
- At approximately 30 degrees latitude in both hemispheres, where sinking air from the Hadley cells creates persistent high-pressure zones.
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