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Core Principles of Wind Systems
The Coriolis Effect
- Core Principle: The Earth’s rotation causes the Coriolis effect, which deflects the path of winds.
- Deflection Direction:
- Northern Hemisphere: Deflection is to the right.
- Southern Hemisphere: Deflection is to the left.
- Impact on Wind Patterns: This deflection governs the overall direction of major wind systems (e.g., cyclones, prevailing winds), resulting in:
- Northern Hemisphere: Clockwise patterns.
- Southern Hemisphere: Anti-clockwise (counter-clockwise) patterns.
Monsoon Climate
- Defining Characteristic: The most defining feature is the seasonal reversal of wind direction.
Planetary Winds: The Westerlies
General Characteristics
- Definition: Prevailing winds blowing from the subtropical high-pressure belts towards the subpolar low-pressure belts.
- Location: Found between approximately 30° and 60° latitude in both hemispheres.
Southern Hemisphere Westerlies
- Strength: Stronger and more persistent than their Northern Hemisphere counterparts.
- Reason for Strength: The Southern Hemisphere has less landmass, offering fewer obstructions (like mountains) to disrupt wind flow.
- Specific Names by Latitude:
- Roaring Forties (40°S – 50°S)
- Furious Fifties (50°S – 60°S)
- Shrieking (or Screaming) Sixties (60°S and south)
- Characteristics:
- Blow with great strength and constancy.
- Direction is generally from the north-west to the south-east.
- Associated with overcast skies, rain, and raw weather.
- Blow uninterrupted due to the vast open ocean.
- Specific Area: The “Long Forties” is a specific area within the Roaring Forties zone in the Indian Ocean.
Northern Hemisphere Westerlies
- Strength: Less persistent due to significant landmass disrupting their flow.
- Regional Example (Europe): Westerlies blowing from a high-pressure area towards the Mediterranean Sea bring moisture.
Impact of Winds on Ocean Temperatures
The distribution of ocean surface temperatures is directly influenced by prevailing winds.
- In the Tropical Zone:
- Winds: Trade winds blow from east to west.
- Effect: They push warm surface waters westward.
- Result: The western sections of oceans become warmer than the eastern sections.
- In the Temperate Zone:
- Winds: Westerlies blow from west to east.
- Effect: They push warmer waters towards the eastern coasts.
- Result: The eastern sections of oceans become warmer than the western sections.
Local / Regional Winds
Chinook Wind
- Location: Blows on the leeward side (downwind side) of the Rocky Mountains in the USA and Canada.
- Type: A hot, dry wind.
- Primary Effect: Causes a rapid rise in temperature during winter, melting snow quickly. This earns it the name “snow-eater.”
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