Planet Earth - Air Pressure and Wind Unit (Mr. Brown)

High Pressure

Low Pressure

Precipitation

A large body of air defined by its temperature and humidity characteristics and bordered by fronts

The temp and humidity of an airmass

From high latitudes (66-90 degrees) - Very cold (A)

From mid latitudes (33-65 degrees) - Cold (P)

From low latitudes (0-32 degrees) - Warm (T)

Originates over ocean - Humid (m)

Originates over land - Dry (C)

Boundary between two air masses of different temperatures or humidity that meet up (named by the air mass moving into the region)

Sharp temperature changes over short distances, changes in humidity, rapid shifts in wind directions, pressure changes, clouds/precipitation patterns (more clouds and precipitation on fronts)

Noted by cold air retreating from an area (Red half circles pointing in the direction of movement)

Noted by cold air advancing and wedging up warmer air (Blue triangles pointing in the direction of movement)

When a cold front catches a warm front and merges lifting the warm air off the surface altogether (Purple alternating triangles and half circles pointing in the direction of movement)

When two different air masses meet but neither is powerful enough to move or displace the other (Red half circles and blue triangles alternating in opposite directions)

Strong band of westerly winds forming in the stratosphere between 10 and 30 miles above the north pole - encloses lots of cold air and when unstable spills into the continents causing cold spells/long term winter weather)

5-9 miles above earth's surface separating cold northern air from warm southern air (influences day to day winter weather)

Spike in polar stratospheric temps (when the polar jet stream becomes wavy and lets cold air down)

"large scale atmospheric waves" - sea ice or surface temp changes (can increase major winter events)

No, sea ice can either destroy or help the polar vortex

Movement of air from high to low pressure as air tries to equalize pressure

The change in pressure over a distance (closer lines on a map means steeper gradient/more wind - lines called isobars)

Pressure gradient - wind speed (due to unequal heating usually)/Friction - both (low friction over a lake high friction in a forest)/Coriolis effect - direction (Rotation of the earth curving wind - Northern hemisphere wind curves right Southern it curves left)

Caused by temperatures and pressure (high to low)

Sea breeze - Land warms more than water and the hot air on land rises so cold air comes in to fill the pressure gap and the warm air goes over the sea and cools etc.

Monsoons - a wind system that changes direction seasonally

Large rotational weather patterns caused by the coriolis effect

Anti-Cyclone, sunny, wind spirals down and out (clouds disapear as air decends), clockwise rotation

Cyclone, cloudy/stormy, wind spirals up and in, counterclockwise motion

When the pressure is low prepare for clouds, rain, or snow!

Largest - Mid-latitude cyclone (east coast AKA nor easter & bomb cyclone)/Middle - Hurricanes (state size)/Small - Tornado (miles)

Needs warm air and large still oceans over 26.5 degrees C - low altitude winds (June 1st to November 30th = hurricane season) - Can get 12-15 km wide - spinning caused by Coriolis effect (creates eye of hurricane) - sometimes winds 200 km/h

Southern Hemisphere - South Pacific, Indian, and south Atlantic oceans

North Atlantic (east coast) - Northern Pacific ocean

North Western Pacific ocean

A high pressure system characterized by outward flow of air (when the pressure is high expect clear sky) - Northern hemisphere the air spirals out and down

An anti-cyclone on Jupiter where the clouds are under another layer of atmosphere and we can see 200-300 miles deep into Jupiter

River of air in the troposphere - boundary of polar/tropical air masses - flows from east to west - when it bends it helps cyclones and anti-cyclones travel

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BQlPH0ticnXroHNMAoXO0nA1KmVzWrRVP4zd8W73PYg/edit

Cirrus -> Stratus -> Nimbostratus -> Overcast Skies and moderate drizzle

Cumulonimbus clouds along warm air wedging area - thunderstorms/heavy precipitation (can cause hail and tornados)

Complex weather - heavy rain/blizzards in warm and cold seasons

Stagnant wind and temperatures - altocumulus clouds and light to moderate precipitation

On 30 degrees north and south latitudes

See image