Atmospheric Circulation Patterns
Post-Secondary•45 minutes•15. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to verify that weather (e.g., temperature, relative humidity, air pressure, dew point, adiabatic cooling, condensation, precipitation, winds, ocean currents, barometric pressure, wind velocity) is influenced by energy transfer within and among the atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere. 14. Analyze and interpret data on the effects of changes in regional and global energy distribution resulting from variations in Earth's axial tilt, orbital eccentricity, and precession, and the impact of these changes on climate (e.g., glaciation, desertification, sea-level fluctuations).
Learning Objective
I can analyze the relationship between the Coriolis effect and the formation of global wind patterns, including trade winds, westerlies, and polar easterlies.
Practice Questions
This lesson includes 12 practice questions to reinforce learning.
View questions preview
1. Explain why the equator receives more direct sunlight than the poles, and how this difference in solar energy affects air temperature.
2. Describe the process of a convection cell formation, including the roles of rising hot air, sinking cool air, and pressure differences.
3. How would global wind patterns be different if the Earth did not rotate?
...and 9 more questions
Educational Video
Global wind patterns| Earth systems and resources| AP environmental science| Khan Academy
Khan Academy