Gr11 Atmosphere Terminology, Quiz 2 Flashcards
(20 cards)
Air mass
A large body of air with relatively similar temperature and humidity characteristics acquired from its source region.
Agulhas Current
The Agulhas Current is a warm current found in the southwest Indian Ocean. It flows down the east coast of South Africa.
Benguela Current
The Benguela Current is a cold, northward flowing ocean current that can be found in the southeast Atlantic Ocean.
Climate regions
Large-scale geographical regions distinguished by variations in energy and moisture budgets.
Continental Tropical (cT) air mass
Originated over the Sahara desert and is thus warm and dry.
Continental Climate
A climate characterized by a great annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby.
Ferrel Cell
Atmospheric circulation cell between about 30• latitude and the polar front.
Geostrophic wind
Wind blowing more or less parallel to isobars, under the combined influence of the pressure gradient and the Coriolis force.
Hadley Cell
Atmospheric circulation cell between the equator and about 30• latitude.
Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
Equatorial low pressure belt along which the trade winds of the two hemispheres converge.
Jet Streams
Strong, geostrophic winds blowing from west to East in the upper atmosphere.
Maritime climate
A climate characterized by a relatively narrow annual temperature range due to the presence of significant bodies of water nearby.
Maritime Tropical (mT) air mass
Originated over the Atlantic Ocean and is therefore warm, moist and unstable.
Mozambican Current
Warm surface waters in the Indian Ocean that flow south along the African East coast in the Mozambique Channel, between Mozambique and the island of Madagascar.
Polar Cell
Atmospheric circulation cell between the polar front and the pole.
Polar easterly winds
The polar easterlies are the dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the high-pressure areas near the north and south poles towards the low-pressure areas within the Westerlies at high latitudes.
Seasonal migration
The pressure belts and wind systems migrate, either northwards or southwards, as the ITCZ moves.
Subsidence
The vertical descent of an air mass.
Tropical easterly winds (Trade winds)
Warm, moist winds that blow from the east towards the west. They originate from the Subtropical high pressure belt and flow towards the Equatorial low pressure belt.
Westerly winds
Warm prevailing winds in the middle latitudes that blow from the Subtropical high pressure belt towards the Subpolar low pressure belt. These prevailing winds blow from the west to the East.
