UNIT 1 - EARTH AS A

SYSTEM
Section 2: Atmospheric Phenomena
CORIOLIS EFFECT
Due to earths rotation, winds
heading due North or South are
deflected from their straight
path.
Northern Hemisphere: deflect to
the right
Southern Hemisphere: deflect to
the left
PRESSURE
GRADIENTS
Differences in
pressure among
areas of the
atmosphere lead to
differences in
weather.
 EARTHS ATMOSPHERE IS
DIVIDED INTO CELLS

Hadley Cell Animation

Cold, Polar Cell
dry air
falls
Moist air rises rain

Polar cap
Arctic tundra Ferrel Cell
Evergreen
60 coniferous forest Cool, dry
air falls
Temperate deciduous
forest and grassland
30 Tropical Desert Hadley Cell
deciduous
forest
Moist air rises,
0 Equator Tropical cools, and releases
rain forest Moisture as rain
Tropical
deciduous
30 forest
Desert
Temperate Hadley Cell
deciduous Cool, dry
60 forest and
air falls
grassland

Polar cap Ferrel Cell

Cold,
Moist air rises rain
dry air
falls
Polar Cell
 EL NIO SOUTHERN
OSCILLATION
Periodic shift in climate on a large scale
Unknown cause, but driven by changes in pressure; occurs every several
years (varies)
Trade winds slow, causing warm water that is normally focused in the
western Pacific to flow back to the east.
This slows upwelling off the coast of N. and S. America, devastating
fisheries and increasing precipitation
Often followed by the reversing of this trend (La Nina STRONGER than
usual trade winds)
Most devastating in recent history: 1997/1998
THE START OF AN EL NIO
MOST RECENT EL NIO
CONDITIONS