TAMU ATMO 201 EXAM 3 STUDY GUIDE
Zonal - Answer -East-West
Easterly Winds - Answer -From East to West
Westerly Winds - Answer -From West to East
Meridional - Answer -North-South
Northernly Winds - Answer -From North to South
Southernly Winds - Answer -From South to North
Scales of Motion - Answer -Global: 10,000s km / Hadley Cell and Walker Circulation
Synoptic: 1,000s km / monsoon, fronts
Mesoscale: 100s km / sea breezes, mountain winds, large storms
Convective: 10s km / cumulonimbus, turbulent eddies
Polar Front - Answer -Occurs when strong temperature gradient exists and thus strong
pressure gradient over small distance
-Results in Polar Jet Stream
Polar Jet Stream - Answer -Fast (50-100mph)
Near Tropopause (9-12km)
Affects mid-latitude weather
Subtropical Jet Stream - Answer -Higher and weaker than polar jet stream
-Often brings moisture to Texas
Walter Circulation - Answer -A zonal, tropical circulation with main cell over Pacific
Normal: Rising motion over warm West Pacific, sinking motion over cold East Pacific
La Nina - Answer --Enhanced Walker Circulation
-Warmer west Pacific, cooler east Pacific
-Stronger Trade Winds
El Nino - Answer --Water warms in East and central pacific
-Trade Winds weaker and can even be westerly
-Rain shift Eastward
[Ocean] El Nino / La Nina - Answer --Ocean Signal in Central and East Pacific
-Irregular signal every 2-7 years
Zonal - Answer -East-West
Easterly Winds - Answer -From East to West
Westerly Winds - Answer -From West to East
Meridional - Answer -North-South
Northernly Winds - Answer -From North to South
Southernly Winds - Answer -From South to North
Scales of Motion - Answer -Global: 10,000s km / Hadley Cell and Walker Circulation
Synoptic: 1,000s km / monsoon, fronts
Mesoscale: 100s km / sea breezes, mountain winds, large storms
Convective: 10s km / cumulonimbus, turbulent eddies
Polar Front - Answer -Occurs when strong temperature gradient exists and thus strong
pressure gradient over small distance
-Results in Polar Jet Stream
Polar Jet Stream - Answer -Fast (50-100mph)
Near Tropopause (9-12km)
Affects mid-latitude weather
Subtropical Jet Stream - Answer -Higher and weaker than polar jet stream
-Often brings moisture to Texas
Walter Circulation - Answer -A zonal, tropical circulation with main cell over Pacific
Normal: Rising motion over warm West Pacific, sinking motion over cold East Pacific
La Nina - Answer --Enhanced Walker Circulation
-Warmer west Pacific, cooler east Pacific
-Stronger Trade Winds
El Nino - Answer --Water warms in East and central pacific
-Trade Winds weaker and can even be westerly
-Rain shift Eastward
[Ocean] El Nino / La Nina - Answer --Ocean Signal in Central and East Pacific
-Irregular signal every 2-7 years
