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What causes large-scale circulation patterns?
Earth’s orbit around the sun and its rotation on a tilted axis causes some parts of Earth to receive more solar radiation than others. This uneven heating produces global circulation patterns. For example, the abundance of energy reaching the equator produces hot humid air that rises high into the atmosphere.
What causes atmospheric and oceanic circulation?
The global conveyor belt’s circulation is the result of two simultaneous processes: warm surface currents carrying less dense water away from the Equator toward the poles, and cold deep ocean currents carrying denser water away from the poles toward the Equator.
What is Earth’s atmospheric circulation?
atmospheric circulation, any atmospheric flow used to refer to the general circulation of the Earth and regional movements of air around areas of high and low pressure. On average, this circulation corresponds to large-scale wind systems arranged in several east–west belts that encircle the Earth.
What are large scale movements of air called?
Large scale air movements of this nature are called Katabatic winds. On a global scale, the same principle of temperature difference operates to develop the major wind belts.
What two factors cause air to subside between 20 35 degrees?
What two factors cause air to subside between 20-35 degrees latitude? upper level air cools and sinks, and the coriolis effect becomes stronger causing the air to be deflected into a west to east flow.
Where do the large scale atmospheric circulation cells shifts in warmer periods?
The large-scale atmospheric circulation “cells” shift polewards in warmer periods (for example, interglacials compared to glacials), but remain largely constant as they are, fundamentally, a property of the Earth’s size, rotation rate, heating and atmospheric depth, all of which change little.