Weather and Climate Chapter 7 : Scales of Atmospheric Motion and Circulations

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to atmospheric motion, circulations, and associated phenomena in meteorology.

Microscale

Describes atmospheric motion on the scale of a few meters, lasting only minutes, typically involving eddies or small turbulent whirls.

Mesoscale

Refers to atmospheric circulations that range from a few kilometers to hundreds of kilometers, lasting from minutes to a day, including phenomena like thunderstorms.

Synoptic scale

Describes circulations around high- and low-pressure areas, typically hundreds to thousands of kilometers in size and lasting days to weeks.

Macroscale

Involves wind patterns on a global scale that encompass synoptic features, which can last from a week or more.

Eddy

A whirl of air typically formed when wind strikes a solid object, can vary in size and types such as rotors and turbulent eddies.

Thermal circulation

Circulations driven by variations in air temperature that cause warm air to rise and cold air to sink.

Sea breeze

A local wind phenomenon characterized by a cooling breeze from the ocean to the land.

Land breeze

A wind that flows from the land to the sea, occurring when the air over the land cools faster than over the ocean.

Katabatic winds

Strong downhill winds often occurring on elevated snow-covered plateaus, typically stronger than mountain breezes.

Chinook winds

Warm, dry winds descending the eastern slopes of mountains, known for rapid temperature increases.

Monsoon

A seasonal wind system that shifts direction between summer and winter, bringing wet conditions in summer and dry conditions in winter.

Jet stream

Swift-flowing air currents found in the upper atmosphere that play a crucial role in heat transport and weather patterns.

ITCZ (Intertropical Convergence Zone)

A region at the equator where trade winds converge, often associated with high rainfall and thunderstorms.

Hadley cell

A thermally direct cell in the atmosphere driven by solar energy, characterized by rising warm air at the equator and sinking cold air at the poles.

Subtropical high

Areas of high pressure commonly found at approximately 30° latitude, contributing to dry conditions and desert formation.

Cyclogenesis

The process of cyclone development, which occurs in areas of low pressure.