The chapter begins with a review of the general principles of atmospheric motion including scale analysis of tropical motions. An overview of the general circulation of the atmosphere and ocean is presented including stratospheric general circulation. Special emphasis is given to the Hadley circulation including its maintenance, seasonal migration, northern and southern hemispheric differences, and the contrast between tropical and midlatitude wind systems. Tropical circulations are examined in a theoretical framework as responses to heating at the equator. Regional monsoons, their conceptual models, seasonal evolution, and variability are explored. Modeling of the general circulation is examined in a focus section.
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At the end of this chapter, you should understand and be able to:
- Recall the primitive equations of motion and continuity
- Recall the hydrostatic equation, hypsometric equation, thermal wind equation, and thermodynamic energy equation
- Estimate divergence and vorticity from streamlines and isotachs using the natural coordinate system of motion
- Understand basic scaling at low latitudes and balances at low latitudes
- Describe various models of global circulation and mechanisms that create their pattern
- Describe the general circulation in the stratosphere
- Describe the tropical tropopause layer and the role of tropical deep convection in global-scale chemical transport
- Identify the semi-permanent highs and lows in the tropics and subtropics
- Recall the seasonal migration of the tropical circulation systems and hemispheric differences
- Understand and describe the similarities and differences between atmospheric motions in the tropics versus the midlatitudes.
- Understand the mechanisms that maintain the Hadley cell and its latitudinal extent
- Describe role of the ITCZ in the general circulation and mechanisms that influence its location
- Describe Ekman transport and upwelling in the ocean
- Recall the global upper ocean circulation mechanisms and the major ocean currents
- Describe the current conceptual model of a monsoon
- Understand the theoretical basis for the Hadley cell and the Walker Circulation as responses to differential heating in the tropics
- Understand and describe how the Asian monsoon evolves
- Compare and contrast the Asian monsoon with other monsoon systems in Australia, Africa, and the Americas
- Describe the major modes of global monsoon interannual variability and some of the factors that influence that variability
- Describe the major factors that lead to intraseasonal variability and break periods in the global monsoons
- Describe the major components of a general circulation model
- Recall at least two major low-level jets of the tropics
tropical meteorology, Hadley cell, subtropical high, general circulation, subtropical jet, scale analysis of tropics, monsoon, west pacific monsoon, asian monsoon, meiyu convection, west african monsoon, north american monsoon, south american monsoon, intraseasonal monsoon variability, active monsoon, break monsoon, interannual monsoon variability, tropospheric biennial oscillation, indian ocean dipole, precipitation in Hadley cell, natural coordinate system, divergence, convergence, shear vorticity, curvature vorticity, compare tropics and midlatitude, projected asian monsoon change, tropical low level jets
February 15 2016: HTML and media assets in this lesson have been updated for current browsers and mobile devices. All links external to COMET's MetEd site have been checked and updated.
