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Forces and Wind
Forces and Wind
Forces and Wind
2. Coriolis Force
It is an apparent force that as a result of earth's rotation deflects moving objects
especially air currents to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the
southern hemisphere. This force is mainly responsible for the large scale weather
patterns.
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3. Geostrophic Wind
It refers to the wind which flows parallel to the isobars. Geostrophic winds come about
because Pressure Gradient force and Coriolis force come into balance after the air begins
to move.
4. Trade Wind
It refers to the wind that flows outward the pressure gradient away from the subtropical
highs or horse latitudes. Due to the Coriolis Effect, in the northern hemisphere below the
subtropical high, we find winds blowing from east to west. At the same time, in the
southern hemisphere above the subtropical high, we also find winds are blowing from
east towards to west. This results to wind which is to as an easterly wind. These easterly
winds are known as the trade winds
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5. Sea Breeze
It is a gentle wind that blows from the sea to the land in consequence of differential
heating. This breeze occurs most often in the spring and summer months because of the
greater temperature differences between the ocean and nearby land, particularly in the
afternoon when land is at maximum heating from the sun.
6. Land Breeze
Land breeze is created when the land is cooler that the water such as at night and the
surface winds have to be very light. When this happens, the air over the water slowly
begins to rise, as the air begins to rise the air over the surface of the ocean has to be
replaced, this is done by drawing the air from land over the water, thus creating this kind
of breeze.
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7. Anabatic Wind
This wind is also called as upslope wind where local air current that blows up a hill or
mountain slope facing the sun. During daytime, the sun heats such a slope faster than it
does on the adjacent atmosphere over a valley or a plain at the same altitude. This
warming decreases the density of the air, causing it to rise. More air rises from below to
replace it, thus producing wind.
8. Katabatic Wind
Katabatic wind came from the Greek word 'katabaino' which means 'to go down'. It is the
generic term for downslope winds flowing from high elevations of mountains, plateaus,
and hills down their slopes to the valleys or planes below. These winds are named
depending on how they are formed and located.
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9. Föhn Wind
These winds which are adiabatically warmed katabatic winds. These are warm and dry,
gusty katabatic winds that occur on the leeward slopes of a mountain range situated in
the path of a depression.
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12. Isobars
It refers to a line drawn through connected points of equal atmospheric pressure on
weather maps. Meteorologists use isobars on weather maps to depict atmospheric
pressure changes over an area and to make predictions concerning wind flow.
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13. Jet Streams
Jet streams are fast flowing, relatively narrow air currents found in the atmosphere,
specifically in the lower portion of stratosphere (tropopause) where the air temperature
remains constant at about -60 degrees Celsius. They form at the boundaries of adjacent
air masses with significant differences in temperature, such as the polar region and the
warmer air to the south.
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