Exam 10: Wind: Global Systems

Ocean currents do not follow wind patterns exactly; rather, they spiral in semiclosed circular whirls called ____________________.

The low-level jet that forms over the Central Plains of the United States in the summer appears to be responsible for ____.

Jet streams can form near Earth's surface as well. One such jet develops just above the central plains of the United States, where it occasionally attains speeds exceeding 60 knots. This wind speed maximum, which usually flows from the south or southwest, is known as a(n)____________________ jet.

In general and based on the three-cell model, along the polar front one would not expect to observe

Off the southeast coast of the United States, the _____________________ is a major semipermanent subtropical high that influences weather patterns in North America.

The large thermally driven convection cell that is driven by convective "hot" towers along the equator is the ____.

The polar front jet stream is stronger in ____________________ than in ____________________.

Why is the single cell model of the general circulation not an accurate description of the actual circulation of the atmosphere?

Explain how and why the average surface pressure features shift from summer to winter.

Upwelling occurs along the northern California coast because ____.

Near the equator, the northeast trades converge with the southeast trades to form the ____.

The reversal of the positions of surface high and low pressure at opposite ends of the Pacific Ocean is called ____.

During a La Niña event, winters in the Pacific Northwest of the United States tend to be ________, winter in the southern part of the United States tends to be ________ than normal.

Icebergs tend to move at right angles to the direction of the wind because of the ____.

In terms of the three-cell general circulation model, the driest regions of Earth should be near ____.

The ____ jet is known to show seasonal variations. In winter, the winds are stronger, and the jet moves farther south as the leading edge of the cold air can extend into subtropical regions, as far south as Florida and Mexico. In summer, the jet is weaker and is usually found over more northerly latitudes.

Areas over the ocean in which weak pressure gradients in the center of a high producing weak winds are commonly referred to as ________________ latitudes.

The ultimate cause of jet streams is the energy imbalance that exists between high and low latitudes.

The jet stream flows ____.

Because of the larger frictional drag in water, ocean currents move ____ the prevailing winds above.