ATM OCN (Meteorology) 100

PLANETARY SCALE CIRCULATION of the 
EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE

Summer 2000

Lecture #17 Scheduled for:

12 JUL 2000 (W) and 14 JUL 2000 (R)

Recommended Readings from Moran and Morgan (1997):

pages 227-234; 427-438; 287-288; 245-247.

Today's Lecture Objectives:

• To locate on a map the principal prevailing wind regimes associated with the planetary-scale circulation.
• To locate on a map the semi-permanent surface pressure systems or "centers of action" that influence the planetary-scale circulation.
• To relate the named prevailing wind fields to the global air pressure distribution.
• To describe and explain the distribution of precipitation at representative locations.
• To sketch and label a cross-section diagram showing the idealized three - cell model of global atmospheric circulation.
• To describe the results of the "dishpan experiments" and how they simulate the global scale atmospheric circulation.
• To describe the seasonal changes in the major features of the planetary-scale circulation regime.
• To discuss the influence of ocean - continent distribution on global pressure distribution.
• To describe the seasonal variations in the monsoon wind regime, focusing upon the monsoon system of south Asia.
• To describe the relationship between the Southern Oscillation and a major El Niño event.

Outline:

A. INTRODUCTION

B. GLOBAL SCALE PREVAILING SURFACE WINDS

• Historical Observations
• Names of the Principal Prevailing Surface Winds

C. AVERAGE SEA-LEVEL PRESSURE PATTERNS

• Locating and naming the semi-permanent Surface Pressure "Centers of Action"
• Relationships between Prevailing winds and Major Pressure Patterns
• Relationships between Prevailing winds, "Centers of Action" and Major Ocean Currents
• Relationships between "Centers of Action" and Major Biome Patterns
• Tropical Rain Forests
• Subtropical Deserts
• Polar Deserts

D. PLANETARY SCALE ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION: THEORETICAL ASPECTS

• Historical Perspective
• Recent Theories
• Overall Observed Wind Structure in the Vertical
• Resultant Causes
• Role of The Planetary Scale Atmospheric Circulation
• Consequences
• Heat Transfer
• Water Transport
• Momentum Transport

E. VARIATIONS IN THE PLANETARY SCALE CIRCULATION

• Seasonal Changes in Planetary Scale Circulation
• Global Differences
• Multiannual Oscillations
• El Niño - Southern Oscillation [ENSO Events]
• La Niña

F. MONSOON CIRCULATION

• Definition
• Situation
• Monsoon Climatology
• Causes

Links to Other References:

• El Niño Theme pages from NOAA/TOGA-TOA
• The El Niño module from Weather World 2010 (Univ. of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign).