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Air Currents - Coggle Diagram
Air Currents
Vocabulary:
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Westerlies: Are steady winds that flow from west to east between latitudes 30°N and 60°N, and 30°S and 60°S.
Polar easterlies: Are cold winds that blow from the east to the west near the North Pole and the South Pole.
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Sea Breeze: Is wind that blows from the sea to the land due to local temperature and pressure differences.
Land Breeze: Is a wind that blows from the land to the sea due to local temperature and pressure differences.
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Global Wind Belts
In the northern hemisphere, hot air in the cell nearest the equator moves to the top of the troposphere. There, the air moves northward until it cools and moves back to Earth's surface near 30° latitude.
Air from the North Pole moves toward the equator along Earth's surface. The cooler air pushes up the warmer air near 60° latitude. The warmer air then moves northward and repeats the cycle.
The Coriolis Effect
Earth's rotation causes moving air and water to appear to move to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.
Prevailing Winds
At about 30°N and 30°S air cools and sinks. This creates areas of high pressure and light, calm winds at the equator called the doldrums.
Jet Streams
Jet streams influence weather as they move cold air from the poles toward the tropics and warm air from the tropics toward the poles.