Atmospheric Circulation Essay

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Atmospheric circulation is caused by a large movement of air that distributes thermal energy throughout the surface of the earth. This circulation is due to unequal heating on the earth’s surface and precipitation patterns. Solar energy received by the Northern and Southern Hemispheres change seasonally due to the tilted angle of the Earth’s orbit. The Tropical and Equatorial regions of the Earth are unevenly heated due to solar energy it receives which is more than the polar regions and the mid latitudes. Tropics receive more heat radiation then they give off and the polar regions give off more heat than they receive. Circulation is needed to distribute the warm air from the tropics to the polar region and the cool air to the tropics. The imbalance of heat is what causes the circulation of the oceans and atmosphere. Atmospheric heating drives circulation of the atmosphere and influences patterns of precipitation. Cold air shifts from high altitudes in the direction of the low latitudes. The sun heats the air by the equator and it rises as it expands. Once it rises, it cools down and holds less water vapors than heated air. The water vapors carried by the air mass that is rising, condenses, cools down. This action forms clouds. These clouds produce the heavy rainfall found in tropical environments. Equatorial air mass stops rising and ends up spreading north and south. The high- altitude air is dry because the water vapors fell as rain. The air mass flows north and south and cools, which increases in density. Over time, it sinks back, at a 30-degree latitude, to the surface and spreads north and south. While this is happening, it draws moisture from land and it creates deserts. When air moves from 30-degree latitude to the equator, it completes a circulation cell at low latitudes. When air moves from 30-degree latitude and heads towards the poles, it is part of the

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