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    Geography

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    nicole
    1) Several key global atmospheric circulation cells influence the climate and distribution of deserts, notably the Hadley cell. 2) As warm, moist air rises at the equator and moves poleward, it cools and descends around 30 degrees latitude, creating subtropical high pressure zones and leading to very dry conditions. 3) The descending air is compressed, becoming warmer and drier as it sinks, resulting in the formation of many of the world's hot deserts located just north and south of the equator.

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    Geography

    Uploaded by

    nicole
    9 views10 pages
    1) Several key global atmospheric circulation cells influence the climate and distribution of deserts, notably the Hadley cell. 2) As warm, moist air rises at the equator and moves poleward, it cools and descends around 30 degrees latitude, creating subtropical high pressure zones and leading to very dry conditions. 3) The descending air is compressed, becoming warmer and drier as it sinks, resulting in the formation of many of the world's hot deserts located just north and south of the equator.

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    Climate and vegetation

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    1) Several key global atmospheric circulation cells influence the climate and distribution of deserts, notably the Hadley cell. 2) As warm, moist air rises at the equator and moves poleward, it cools and descends around 30 degrees latitude, creating subtropical high pressure zones and leading to very dry conditions. 3) The descending air is compressed, becoming warmer and drier as it sinks, resulting in the formation of many of the world's hot deserts located just north and south of the equator.

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    9 views10 pages

    Geography

    Uploaded by

    nicole
    1) Several key global atmospheric circulation cells influence the climate and distribution of deserts, notably the Hadley cell. 2) As warm, moist air rises at the equator and moves poleward, it cools and descends around 30 degrees latitude, creating subtropical high pressure zones and leading to very dry conditions. 3) The descending air is compressed, becoming warmer and drier as it sinks, resulting in the formation of many of the world's hot deserts located just north and south of the equator.

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    of 10

    CLIMATE & NATURAL

    VEGETATION
    North American
    Gobi
    (e.g. Nevada - Las Vegas) Turkestan
    Iranian

    Sahara

    Arabian
    Atacama

    Namib
    Australian
    Kalahari
    Patagonian

    Label each of these - make notes on their global distribution from your own observation
    Fluctuating mean temperatures

    Deserts can be very cold - freezing

    Low mean rainfall < 250mm annually

    Study this typical climate graph of a hot desert area. What observations can you make?
    Incoming
    Rapid heat loss Low humidity

    Cloudless

    High exposure to
    long wave radiation
    - very hot

    Lack of cloud = heat


    escapes at night,
    falling temperatures

    Diurnal range from 5


    - 50oC

    Rapid cooling assists some condensation at night -


    sustains some life and causes weathering (freeze and
    heat expansion)
    Why is it dry north and south of the Equator?
    Global air circulation is crucial to understanding its effect on climate
    in certain zones

    Warm, moist
    air rises.
    It cools in the
    troposphere.
    Cold air
    sinks - HIGH
    pressure to
    LOW
    pressure

    Area influencing air movement from HIGH to LOW


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDEcAxfSYaI
    Various pressure cells surround earth:
    the Hadley Cell influences air circulation
    between 00 and 300

    As the warm air rises, it moves back to equatorial


    regions due to Coriolis effect
    that forms Trade Winds
    Moves clockwise - others move
    anti-clockwise (westerlies)
    Dense, descending air gets compressed
    making it warmer and drier

    As it gets denser, it sinks around 300 N/S (high


    to low pressure)

    Upper air COOLS, gets denser


    and moves towards the Poles

    Equator - warm, moist air rises, causing


    condensation and rain

    Cells to south do the same in the


    opposite way
    Moist air rises, cools, sinks and becomes drier - cycle is
    repeated due to earth’s rotation (Coriolis Effect) each 300 band
    has its own
    climatic
    High to Low DRY ❄ characteristics

    WET
    Moist air rises, cools and sinks

    Moves opposite to the Hadley and Polar


    cells - High to Low - westerly wind

    DRY 🌵
    Convectional
    rain
    WET

    DRY 🌵

    WET
    DRY ❄

    Ferrel Cell - transfers heat to Polar Cell and cooler air to Hadley cell -
    a mechanism for the transfer of heat, not driven by convection like the others
    Watch
    carefully!!

    CCC
    Cool
    Condense
    Clouds Biomes -
    Cumulo distinct
    Nimbus habitats

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KykRj_Ccz40

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