GENERAL GLOBAL
CIRCULATION
CLIM2614
Theme 4
General Circulation of the
Atmosphere
• Average air flow
around the world
• Underlying cause is
the unequal heating of
the earth’s surface
• Transports warm air
from the equator
towards the higher
latitudes
• Gives rise to Earth's
climatic zones
, Single-Cell Model
Assumptions:
• The earth’s surface
is uniformly
covered with water
• The sun is always
directly over the
equator
• The earth does not
rotate
Single-Cell Model
The observed global pressure and wind patterns
do not fit this single-cell model
Such a simple cellular circulation does not
actually exist
The problem lies in the underlying assumptions
CIRCULATION
CLIM2614
Theme 4
General Circulation of the
Atmosphere
• Average air flow
around the world
• Underlying cause is
the unequal heating of
the earth’s surface
• Transports warm air
from the equator
towards the higher
latitudes
• Gives rise to Earth's
climatic zones
, Single-Cell Model
Assumptions:
• The earth’s surface
is uniformly
covered with water
• The sun is always
directly over the
equator
• The earth does not
rotate
Single-Cell Model
The observed global pressure and wind patterns
do not fit this single-cell model
Such a simple cellular circulation does not
actually exist
The problem lies in the underlying assumptions
