GENERAL CIRCULATION

and the
EARTH ROTATION
Rotation

 describes the circular

motion of an object
around its center.
Axis of Rotation
The Earth rotates about an imaginary
line that passes through the North and
South Poles of the planet.

The Earth’s axis runs from the North Pole to the South Pole.
Its axis is vertical.
The Earth’s axis takes the Earth 24 hours, or one day, to
make one complete rotation around this invisible line.
Revolution
Which way does the world turn?
 The General Circulation

Thermal Circulation

If the earth were a nonrotating

sphere, a purely thermal circulation
would result. The equator receives
more solar radiation than the higher
latitudes.
What causes Earth’s rotation?
Angular momentum – the name we give for the fact that things tend to rotate.

 The Earth formed out of nebula that collapsed.

nebula
 Is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space. Some
nebulae (more than one nebula) come from the
gas and dust thrown out by the explosion of a
dying
Effects of Earth’s Rotation
The earth rotates from west to east, and a point at the
equator moves at about 1670 kph while one at 60
degrees latitude moves at one half this speed.

From the principle of angular momentum, it follows that

a parcel of air at rest relative to earth’s surface at the
equator would attain a theoretical eastward velocity of
2505 kph, relative to earth’s surface, if moved northward
to 60 degrees latitude.

Conversely, if a parcel of air at the North Pole were

moved southward to 60 degrees latitude, it would reach
a theoretical westward velocity of 835 kph.
Atmospheric Circulation
 is the large scale movement
of air, and together with the
ocean circulation is the means
by which thermal energy is
redistributed on the surface of
the earth.
Global Circulation Over the major parts of the Earth’s surface
there are large- scale wind circulations
present.

 Can be described as the world

wide system of winds by which
the necessary transport of heat
from tropical to polar latitudes
is accomplished.
Three hemispheric cells:
1. Hadley Cell 2. Ferrel Cell
- The largest cells extend from
the equator to between 30 - Air converges at low altitudes to ascend
and 40 degrees north and along the boundaries between cool polar air
south, and are named Hadley and the warm subtropical air that generally
cells, after English occurs between 60 and 70 degrees north and
meteorologist George Hadley. south.

3. Polar Cell
- Smallest and weakest cells which extend from between 60
and 70 degrees north and south, to the poles.
Hadley Cell
TEMPERATURE
 Temperature
is a physical quantity expressing hot and cold.

is a measure of the average kinetic energy of

the particles in a system.
In the Celsius scale the freezing point of water is defined
as 0 °C and the boiling point is defined as 100 °C

On the Kelvin scale the coldest temperature possible, -

273 °C, has a value of 0 Kelvin (0 K) and is called the
absolute zero.
 Temperature Measurement
Temperature is the measure of heat in the body. Temperature
characterizes the body as hot or cold. The instrument which is
used for measuring temperature is a thermometer.

A thermometer is an instrument
which is used for measuring
temperature of a body. The first
invention to measure the temperature
was by Galileo. He invented the
rudimentary water thermometer in
1593. He named this device
“Thermoscope”.
 TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS
The amount of solar energy received by any region varies with time of
day, with seasons, and with latitude. These differences in solar energy
create temperature variations. Temperatures also vary with differences
in topographical surface and with altitude. These temperature
variations create forces that drive the atmosphere in its endless
motions.
 DIURNAL VARIATION
Diurnal variation is the change in
temperature from day to night brought
about by the daily rotation of the Earth.
The Earth receives heat during the day
by solar radiation but continually loses
heat by terrestrial radiation.
SEASONAL VARIATION
In addition to its daily rotation,
the Earth revolves in a complete
orbit around the sun once each
year. Since the axis of the Earth
tilts to the plane of orbit, the
angle of incident solar radiation
varies seasonally between
hemispheres.
 Geographic Distribution of Temperature

Distribution of temperature varies both horizontally and

vertically.
1. Horizontal Distribution of Temperature
2. Vertical Distribution of Temperature
 Horizontal Factors
The horizontal distribution of temperature
depends on insolation, seasonal changes,
winds, currents and nature of the land. The
mean temperatures are taken on average of
observations over a definite period of time.
These temperatures are further reduced to sea
level for convenience.
Vertical Factors
Normally the temperature goes on declining as we
proceed higher up from the sea level. It is because of
two causes:
1. The lower layers get warmed as they are in contact
with the earth. The lower layers also get hot due to
compression from above.
2. At high altitudes, the water vapor and CO2 content
of the air is reduced and it gets rarified (thinned)
leading to low absorption.
 Humidity is the amount
of water vapor or the moisture
present in a given volume of air.
Humidity helps cooling and heating
of the atmosphere.
 Water vapor, the gaseous state of
water, is generally invisible to the human
eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood
for precipitation, dew, or fog to be
present.
Three primary measurements of humidity
are widely employed:

•Absolute Humidity
•Relative Humidity
•Dew Point
Absolute Humidity / Total Humidity
- is a measure of the actual amount of water vapor
(moisture) in the air, regardless of the air's
temperature.
Relative Humidity
- expressed as a percentage, indicates a present state of
absolute humidity relative to a maximum humidity
given the same temperature.
Dew Point
- is the temperature to which the air would have to be
cooled to become saturated.
 Due to decrease in temperature the
water vapor starts converting into liquid
water droplets. This process is called
condensation.
Condensation has various forms :

• DEW - is the water in the form of droplets that

appears on thin, exposed objects in the morning or
evening due to condensation. As the exposed surface
cools by radiating its heat, atmospheric moisture
condenses at a rate greater than that at which it can
evaporate, resulting in the formation of water
droplets.
FROST
- When the temperature falls down to 0⁰C, the
water drops form ice crystals which are known
as frost.

FOG OR MIST
- Fog is formed by the condensation that takes
on the dust particles floating near the Earth’s
surface. It can be seen during the peak winter
season.
CLOUDS
CLOUDS
- Clouds are a mass of minute droplets of
water formed by the condensation of water
vapors in the upper atmosphere.
On the basis of this appearance and the altitude
at which they occur, the clouds are classified into
the following categories:

• Nimbus Clouds
• Cumulus Clouds
• Stratus Clouds
• Cirrus CLouds
NIMBUS CLOUDS
- These clouds occur at low levels. They are dark
grey or black in appearance. They cause heavy
rainfall.

CUMULUS CLOUDS
- They appear like a cauliflower. They are often
white or greyish. They are also the rain bearing
clouds.
STRATUS CLOUDS
- They appear like thin sheets in the sky. They are
whitish and they hardly bring any rainfall.

CIRRUS CLOUDS
- These clouds look like the birds’ feathers. They
are often known as ‘Feathery Clouds’. They do
not bring rainfall.
IS PRECIPITATION THE SAME AS
HUMIDITY?
PRECIPITATION
- Condensation of water vapour in the air in the
form of water droplets and ice falling on the
ground. This may take place in liquid or solid
forms of water.
How is humidity measured?

A device to measure relative humidity is

called a hygrometer. The simplest hygrometer - a
sling psychrometer - consists of two
thermometers mounted together with a handle
attached on a chain. One thermometer is
ordinary. The other has a cloth wick over its bulb
and is called a wet-bulb thermometer.
QUESTIONS?
1. What normally happens to the temperature at night?
The temperature usually drops during the night.
2. Was the relative humidity higher at night or during the day?
The relative humidity is usually higher at night.
3. When is it usually the warmest time of the day?
Early afternoon. About 2 o'clock.
4. Is the relative humidity usually higher or lower at this time, compared to the
rest of the day? Use the definition of relative humidity.
Lower when the temperature is high.
Warm air has the potential to hold more water vapour than cool air.
R.H. = (amount of moisture)/(maximum amount that could be contained) x
100%
If the moisture in the air remains unchanged and the temperature rises, the
maximum amount of moisture that the air could hold increases. The
numerator is the same and the denominator is increased, so the resulting
percentage will be lower.
Understanding time-related variation:
5. Describe how the relative humidity usually changed throughout a day, from
midnight to midnight.
Relative humidity is usually high at midnight and in the early morning, drops
rapidly, after the sun rises, until it is lowest just after midday. It then increases
again to midnight, rapidly in the late afternoon and early evening and levels off
around midnight.

6. Explain how the temperature varied throughout a day from midnight to

midnight.
Temperature is usually low at midnight, decreasing in the early hours of the
morning, and then increasing rapidly until just after midday. It then decreases
during the night.
7. Were there any dramatic changes of temperature during the week?
No. Night temperatures fell slightly as the week progressed.
The temperature was lower than usual on the night and early morning of the
29th.
8. Describe the relative humidity for the week and how it varied from day
to day.
Relative humidity decreased slightly as the week progressed. There is a
daily cycle. The relative humidity ranges from 63 to 95% during this
week.

Communicating findings:
9. Describe in words the relationship between the two variables during
this week?
As the temperature increases the relative humidity usually decreases or
vice versa.
THANK YOU!