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Atmospheric Circulation

Meteorology

The large-scale movement of air that, together with ocean circulation, redistributes thermal energy across the surface of Earth. It works as a heat engine driven by the Sun's energy with the blackness of space as its ultimate sink, carrying energy absorbed near the tropics toward the poles; its circulation cells shift poleward in warmer periods but stay largely constant because they follow from Earth's size, rotation rate, heating and atmospheric depth, which change little. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Timescale
Varies from year to year, but the large-scale structure remains fairly constant 1
Driving Force
Uneven solar heating between the equator and the poles, redirected by the Earth's rotation through the Coriolis effect. 1
Resulting Feature
The trade winds, the westerlies and the polar easterlies, organized into the Hadley, Ferrel and polar circulation cells. 1
Significance
Atmospheric circulation redistributes heat and moisture around the planet, setting the broad pattern of Earth's climate zones and regional weather. 1
Driving Force
Driving Force (category)
Solar / Thermal 1
Timescale
Timescale (category)
Years to Decades 1
Atmospheric Circulation
Filter Results38 entries
Connections

Associated With

Together with ocean circulation it redistributes thermal energy across Earth's surface.

Source Atmospheric Circulation (Wikipedia)

Causes

Air mass, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Air mass); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Air mass (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Anticyclogenesis); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Anticyclogenesis (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Atmospheric River); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Atmospheric River (Wikipedia)
Blizzard, Phenomena

A blizzard results from strong atmospheric circulation combining sustained high winds, cold air, and heavy or blowing snow.

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Clear-Air Turbulence); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Clear-Air Turbulence (Wikipedia)
Cold drop, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Cold drop); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Cold drop (Wikipedia)
Cold Pool, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Cold Pool); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Cold Pool (Wikipedia)
Cold Wave, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Cold Wave); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Cold Wave (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Cold-Core Low); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Cold-Core Low (Wikipedia)
Cut-Off Low, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Cut-Off Low); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Cut-Off Low (Wikipedia)
Cyclone, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Cyclone); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Cyclone (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Diurnal Temperature Variation); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Diurnal Temperature Variation (Wikipedia)
El Nino, Phenomena
Source El Nino Southern Oscillation (Wikipedia)
Heat Dome, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Heat Dome); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Heat Dome (Wikipedia)
Heat Wave, Phenomena

Heat waves are commonly driven by persistent high-pressure atmospheric circulation blocking patterns.

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (High-Pressure Area); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source High-Pressure Area (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Horse Latitudes); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Horse Latitudes (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Hurricane Katrina); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Wikidata: Hurricane Katrina

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Lake-Effect Rain); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Lake-Effect Rain (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Low-Pressure Area); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Low-Pressure Area (Wikipedia)
Meiyu Front, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Meiyu Front); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Meiyu Front (Wikipedia)
Monsoon, Phenomena

A monsoon is a seasonal reversal of prevailing wind and precipitation patterns driven by differential land-ocean heating.

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Nocturnal tornado); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Nocturnal tornado (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Orographic Precipitation); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Orographic Precipitation (Wikipedia)
Outflow, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Outflow); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Outflow (Wikipedia)
Polar High, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Polar High); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Polar High (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Post-Tropical Cyclone); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Post-Tropical Cyclone (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Precipitation); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Precipitation (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Pressure system); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Pressure system (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Saharan air layer); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Saharan air layer (Wikipedia)
Thunder, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Thunder); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Thunder (Wikipedia)

Thunderstorms develop from convective atmospheric circulation where warm moist air rises rapidly through an unstable column.

Tropical cyclones form and are steered by large-scale atmospheric circulation over warm ocean water.

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Weather front); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Weather front (Wikipedia)
Whirlwind, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Whirlwind); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Whirlwind (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (White squall); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source White squall (Wikipedia)
Wind, Phenomena

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Wind); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Wind (Wikipedia)

Read from this phenomenon's own Wikipedia article (Wind direction); earth5 pass cause judgment: Atmospheric Circulation.

Source Wind direction (Wikipedia)

In Discipline

Earth's weather is a consequence of its illumination by the Sun and the laws of thermodynamics.

Source Atmospheric Circulation (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Atmospheric Circulation (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section
Quote, Lead section
Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air and together with ocean circulation it is the means by which thermal energy is redistributed on the surface of Earth.
View the Source
El Nino Southern Oscillation (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationCauses: El Nino, Article text
Quote, Causes: El Nino, Article text
is a global climate phenomenon that emerges from variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific Ocean.
View the Source
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