Week 4 Lab

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Clark College *

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Dec 6, 2023

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Week 4 Lab 6. Atmospheric/Ocean Circulation (A-C) Activity A: Atmosphere/ocean circulation and climate regulation 1. What is the approximate latitude and longitude of where you are? 0.16° N, 83.35° W is the longitude and latitude near North and South America. 2. What is the wind speed and direction there? 200° @ 12 mph 3. Where near you is the wind speed the lowest? 1.24° S, 75.75° W has wind speed the lowest of 10° @ 2 mph 4. Where is it the fastest? It's the fastest near 16.37° N, 107.27° W 90° @ 42 mph 5. Where does air seem to be flowing into a point? Looks rather like water flowing into a drain. The air on the map seems to be flowing into different points of the map that look like cyclones. From what I noticed there were multiple of these cycleones on the different areas that the wind would go and flow into. 6. Where does the air seem to be flowing away from a point? It seems to be flowing away from Near Africa on the west side and doesn't flow into a point and it also seems that it is near Australia too. Near the Indian ocean
as it just sits there in some areas. There's other areas I saw it flowing away from but these were the first two I saw 7. Where do you find tongues of cooler air with neighboring warmer air to the left and right? I want to say the South and North pole in the surrounding areas we see warmer air but right at the top is where the cool air is. I also notice this where Asia is as we see a big blue spot right in the middle but more orange and red tones surrounding them. 8. What is the temperature difference between the center of one of these cool air tongues and the surrounding air at the same latitude? Click on the globe at each location to get a latitude and longitude and an air temperature for each. 33.43° N, 87.13° E 360° @ 3 mph -7.8 °C VS 23.42° N, 76.54° E 325° @ 1 mph 22.4 9. How does wind direction correspond with this tongue? In this sense, the wind direction is similar to the idea of an air "tongue" in that it points to the origin of the air mass. Here, the wind direction at Location 1 contributes to a tongue of cold air by bringing in colder air from the north, but the wind direction at Location 2 indicates a gentler effect from the north, creating a tongue of comparatively warmer air. 10.Repeat questions 7-9 for a tongue of warmer air compared with cooler air to the left and right. ● Where do you find warmer air compared with cooler air to the left and right? We find warmer air compared to colder air near the equator as this is the hottest/warmest the earth is meaning the air is going to be warmer. ● What is the temperature difference between the center of one of these warmer air and the surrounding air at the same latitude? 16.59° N, 179.06° W 90° @ 18 Mph 27.5 VS 4.67° N, 141.67° E 85° @ 4 Mph 28.4
● How does wind direction correspond with this tongue? The wind directions suggest that the warm air is coming from the east, and both areas have been experiencing comparable temperatures due to warm, marine tropical air masses. 11. How does your answer to the previous questions address the question of how heat energy is distributed from areas of energy excess to areas of deficit? The process of atmospheric circulation transfers heat energy, a crucial component of Earth's climate system, from places of excess warmth to areas of cooler temperatures. The main causes of this heat redistribution are variations in pressure and temperature, which affect wind patterns. 12.Do you see the pattern more clearly over the ocean or over the land? What might cause differences between these patterns over ocean and land? In summary, because of the ocean's greater heat capacity, smoother surface, and consistency, the heat distribution pattern is often clearer and more consistent over it. Heat distribution is more complicated and changeable on land due to the existence of different surface characteristics, differences in landforms, and human activity that can cause local temperature gradients and alter wind patterns. 13.Where do you find tongues of cooler water reaching out toward the equator? Where do you find tongues of warmer water moving towards poles? One area of cooler water reaching out toward the equator is the Pacific ocean as its water is slowly flowing towards the equator. Near South America on the west side its warmer water is moving towards the South Pole. 14.What is the temperature difference between a point in the center of these tongues and the surrounding water at the same latitude? Give the longitudes, latitudes, and temperatures of the points you used to answer this question. 31.35° N, 123.25° W340° 20.1 C VS 25.41° S, 91.23° W 19.3 C 15.Based on your response to question 14 in this activity, what would you expect about the relationship between these tongues and the direction of current flow? That cooler water tongues reaching toward the equator and warmer water tongues traveling toward the poles:
16.Zoom in on one of these tongues until you can see the animated current lines. Was your response to question 15 accurate? Yes warmer water flows into cooler water towards the poles while our colder water flows back into the warmer water. 17.What complicates giving a simple yes or no your answer in question 16? While the general rule that warmer water flows poleward and cooler water flows equatorward is accurate on a global scale, it is difficult to answer "yes" or "no" because of the variability and local factors that affect particular ocean current patterns. Activity B: Atmospheric circulation: Patterns and drivers 1. Find a low-pressure area near the equator. Look for a broad band rather than a spot. What is the lowest MSLP you find in this band? The lowest I found nearest to the equator was 1.34° N, 81.27° W 230° @ 12 Mph 1006 2. Is air flowing into or out of this area? Its flowing out of this area into somewhere else. 3. Based on your answer to the previous question is air rising from or falling onto the center of the band? Note this area is referred to as the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone or ITZC. The ITCZ center is producing air that is rising, which aids in the development of this low-pressure system and the related weather patterns 4. Now rotate the globe until you are looking at Antarctica. Find a high-pressure area near the south pole. What is the highest MSLP you find in this area? 78.63° S, 88.78° E 135° @ 6 mph 1066 hPa 5. Is air flowing to or out of this area? Its flowing out of this area 6. Based on your answer to question 5 is air rising from or falling onto the center of this area?
In a system with high pressure, air normally descends towards the surface. There is little cloud development and steady, mostly clear weather as a result of the sinking air. Air is thus dropping into the center of this area of high pressure based on this. 7. Surface air pressure is largely dependent on air temperature. Warm air tends to be associated with low MSLP since air expands and becomes less dense as it warms. Cold air on the other hand tends to be associated with high MSLP since air contracts and becomes denser as it cools. Based on this bit of basic physics what’s driving the air flow you observed in questions 2, 3, 5, and 6? The relationship between atmospheric pressure and air temperature affects air flow. Temperature variations induce variations in air density, which in turn produce pressure gradients that force air to move from high-pressure to low-pressure regions, causing wind and atmospheric circulation. 8. What is the MSLP in the center of that spot? 971 hPa 9. How is the air flowing relative to the center of the spot? In other words, is it flowing into or out of it? Is it moving clockwise or counterclockwise? The air is flowing into the spot and is moving counterclockwise. 10.Now look for a high-pressure area next to the low-pressure center. What is the MSLP in the center of that area? 1035 hPa 11. How is the air flowing relative to the center of this area? Make sure to talk about into or out of and clockwise and counterclockwise. The air is flowing outward of the spot and is moving clockwise out of the spot. 12.Given that these two centers are in close proximity to each explanation, create an overall description of what is happening with airflow going from one center to the next. This circulation pattern exemplifies the fundamental idea of atmospheric circulation, which is the movement of air from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas, resulting in wind and affecting weather patterns ● Next look for a similar spot in the southern hemisphere.
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