NATS 101-05

Lecture 14
Monsoons
&
Global Circulation

Supplemental References for TodayŐs Lecture
Aguado, E. and J. E. Burt, 2001: Understanding Weather & Climate, 2nd Ed. 505 pp. Prentice Hall. (ISBN 0-13-027394-5)
Lutgens, F. K. and E. J. Tarbuck, 2001: The Atmosphere, An Introduction to the Atmosphere, 8th Ed. 484 pp. Prentice Hall.    (ISBN 0-13-087957-6)

Monsoon
SEASONAL Reversal of Prevailing Wind
Wind shift often accompanied by
Major Change in Weather
Summer Rains - Often Abrupt Onset
Winter Dryness
Major Monsoon occurs over Asia
Weaker Monsoon occurs in North America

Monsoon
Land mass is colder than ocean in winter
Land-sea temp contrast reverses in summer
Wind forced by seasonal changes in PGF Higher SLP over land in winter FOffshore flow at Surface
Lower SLP over land in summer FOnshore flow at Surface

Monsoon
Onshore flow leads to surface convergence
FRising motion over land during summer
Offshore flow leads to surface divergence
FSinking motion over land during winter
Monsoon is Thermally Direct Circulation
FWarm Air Rises - Cold Air Sinks

Slide 6
Slide 7
Asian Winter
Asian Summer
Monthly Average Rain
Cherrapunji
Geography of Our Monsoon Region
January
July
Terrain
Terrain (300 m)
Steep slopes of Sierra Madre Occidental
Warm Waters

Yecora & Moctezuma PWV 2004 Monsoon Onset
Pre-monsoon event

Monthly Rainfall
Mexican Monsoon
Similar onset
Similar behavior  butÉ
Much less intense
than Asian Monsoon

Percentage of Annual Rainfall
Accounts for up to 70% total rain in monsoon core
Tucson ~50%
Phoenix ~40%

July minus June
Rainfall
Monsoon Evolution from Satellite
CCT < -38oC Frequency
Centered over W. Mexico
June start over Mexico
AZ at northern fringes of heart of monsoon
Rains reach SE Arizona by July

June-July 500 mb Flow
July 900 mb Flow
Diurnal Winds
450 m AGL
Summary
Monsoons
Differential Heating Between Land and Oceans
Seasonal Reversal of Wind
Summer Rain - Winter Aridity
Thermally-Direct Circulation
Regions
Major Monsoon Occurs over SE Asia
Weaker Monsoon Occurs over North America
West Africa in NH
Australia, South America in SH

now Global CirculationÉ.
But first Review
Global Energy Balance
Thermally Direct Circulations AGAIN!

Annual Energy Balance
Heat transfer done by winds and ocean currents
Differential heating drives winds and currents

Global Energy Budget
Averaged over entire earth, incoming solar radiation is equal to outgoing IR
Tropics absorb more solar radiation than they emit IR to space
Surplus of radiant energy in tropics
Poles absorb less solar radiation than they emit IR to space
Deficit of radiant energy in poles

Global Circulation
To balance the inequalities in the global energy budget, energy must be transported from the tropics to the poles.
40% of transport is done by oceans
60% of transport is done by atmosphere

Thermally Direct Circulation
Global Circulation
Winds throughout the world are averaged over a long period of time        (over many winters)
Local wind patterns vanish
Distinct patterns in the prevailing winds emerge
Driven by the unequal heating of the earthŐs surface

Consider Waterworld
A Simple Model
Earth uniformly covered by water
Land-Sea heating difference isnŐt factor
Sun is always directly over the equator
No seasons
Earth doesnŐt rotate Use average daily sun
No diurnal cycle and É ?

Waterworld
Single Equator to Pole Cell
Consider a Rotating Waterworld
Equator-to-Pole temperature difference and rotation of Earth produce 3 circulation cells
Hadley Cell (Strong Thermally Direct)
Ferrel Cell (Indirect: Forced by Hadley & Polar)
Polar Cell (Weak Thermally Direct)

Rotating Waterworld
Prevailing Winds
Major Surface Pressure Zones
ITCZ
Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone
Near equator Northeast Trades (N.H.) Converge with Southeast Trades (S.H.) along this zone.
Is evident as a band around the globe on a day-to-day basis.
IR movie

Jet Streams
Why Jet Streams in Mid-Latitudes?
Strong Thermal Contrast
Mid-Latitude Westerlies
Real World Circulation
Land-Ocean heating difference, along with the difference between tropics and poles, and rotation of earth.
Sun not always directly over the Equator (cause of the seasons).
Expect high pressure over cold land in the winter.
Expect low pressure over warm land in the summer.

Slide 40
Slide 41
Pacific High, Bermuda High
Pacific High, Bermuda High
Global Circulation - Precipitation
Global Circulation - Seasonal Precipitation
Summary
Global Circulation
Differential Heating Between Tropics and Poles
Three Cells
Mid-Latitude Westerlies
Patterns shift somewhat with seasons
Precipitation
Major Deserts occur under Sub-Tropical High
Mid-latitude storms occur along Polar Front

Next Lecture
Topic- Atmosphere-Ocean Interactions
El Nino and La Nina
Reading - Ahrens pg 192-200
Problems - 7.17, 7.18