How do climate changes according to longitude and latitude
Answers
Answered by
3
Longitude, which represents the grid lines on the Earth’s surface extending from north-to-south, pole-to-pole, does not directly affect climate, but it does so indirectly, due to eastward or westward movement of air masses. Here’s how:
The principal movement of air currents within Earth’s atmosphere is related to differential heating by the sun. Air at the poles receives relatively little sunlight. Accordingly, it is relatively cold and dry. Cold, dry air has higher density than warmer, moister air. This produces a region of high air pressure around the poles. Owing to the pressure difference, air tends flow away from the poles toward lower latitudes, where the air pressure is lower. (Note that we’re discussing latituderight now! We’ll get to longitude in a moment!!).
In contrast with the poles, air at the equator is relatively warm and moist, creating a region of lower air density, where the air has lower pressure. Therefore, air in the equatorial regions wants to rise up to higher altitude (like a “hot air balloon), and flow away from the equator toward the poles. The equatorial air cools when it rises, causing the water vapor contained within it to condense and fall out as rain. This is why equatorial regions are so rainy. The equatorial air sinks back down toward the Earth’s surface at latitudes of around 30°N and 30°S . By then, however, the air contains little water vapor. Therefore, we tend to see deserts at latitudes around 30°N and 30°S throughout the world, such as the Sahara, Arabian, Gobi, and Mohave Deserts in the Northern Hemisphere and the deserts of central Australia in the Southern Hemisphere. When the air descends to the surface, it tends to flow back toward the equator to replace the air that has risen and moved away from the equator at higher altitudes. Together, this process creates two doughnut shaped circulation patterns called “Hadley cells” (See the two orange doughnuts in the picture below).
There are also doughnut shaped circulation patterns called Ferrel cells that occur between 30°N & 60°N, and between 30°S and 60°S. And, finally, there are doughnut shaped circulations systems called “polar cells” that form around the North and South poles.
The principal movement of air currents within Earth’s atmosphere is related to differential heating by the sun. Air at the poles receives relatively little sunlight. Accordingly, it is relatively cold and dry. Cold, dry air has higher density than warmer, moister air. This produces a region of high air pressure around the poles. Owing to the pressure difference, air tends flow away from the poles toward lower latitudes, where the air pressure is lower. (Note that we’re discussing latituderight now! We’ll get to longitude in a moment!!).
In contrast with the poles, air at the equator is relatively warm and moist, creating a region of lower air density, where the air has lower pressure. Therefore, air in the equatorial regions wants to rise up to higher altitude (like a “hot air balloon), and flow away from the equator toward the poles. The equatorial air cools when it rises, causing the water vapor contained within it to condense and fall out as rain. This is why equatorial regions are so rainy. The equatorial air sinks back down toward the Earth’s surface at latitudes of around 30°N and 30°S . By then, however, the air contains little water vapor. Therefore, we tend to see deserts at latitudes around 30°N and 30°S throughout the world, such as the Sahara, Arabian, Gobi, and Mohave Deserts in the Northern Hemisphere and the deserts of central Australia in the Southern Hemisphere. When the air descends to the surface, it tends to flow back toward the equator to replace the air that has risen and moved away from the equator at higher altitudes. Together, this process creates two doughnut shaped circulation patterns called “Hadley cells” (See the two orange doughnuts in the picture below).
There are also doughnut shaped circulation patterns called Ferrel cells that occur between 30°N & 60°N, and between 30°S and 60°S. And, finally, there are doughnut shaped circulations systems called “polar cells” that form around the North and South poles.
Answered by
0
https://www.windows2universe.org/http://www.polaris.iastate.edu/NorthStar/Unit5/unit5_sub1.htm
Latitude and Climate
Latitude and Climate
Similar questions