|
|
Atmospheric Circulation
Hadley Cells continued
2) The jet streams
Eventually, the air reaches the stratosphere, where air temperature increases with height. The rising air quickly becomes cooler than its surroundings and sinks.
The tropopause acts like a lid for clouds. Since the air cannot rise any more, it spreads poleward. However, it is deflected by the coriolis force. Air is deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This means that poleward moving air in both hemispheres becomes westerly winds, or winds that blow from the west.
These westerly winds produce jet streams near 30 deg and 60 deg latitudes. The former is called the Subtropical Jet Stream, while the latter is the Polar Jet Stream.
Here is an interesting website on the jet streams from PBS NOVA online.
Next page -> Hadley Cell continued
Links and resources
Hadley Cells continued
2) The jet streamsEventually, the air reaches the stratosphere, where air temperature increases with height. The rising air quickly becomes cooler than its surroundings and sinks.
The tropopause acts like a lid for clouds. Since the air cannot rise any more, it spreads poleward. However, it is deflected by the coriolis force. Air is deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. This means that poleward moving air in both hemispheres becomes westerly winds, or winds that blow from the west.
These westerly winds produce jet streams near 30 deg and 60 deg latitudes. The former is called the Subtropical Jet Stream, while the latter is the Polar Jet Stream.
Here is an interesting website on the jet streams from PBS NOVA online.
Next page -> Hadley Cell continued
Links and resources
