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 |