Antarctic Atmosphere impacts the precipitation and climate of the continent, which in turn affects the biosphere as to what organisms can stand the extreme conditions, and the hydrosphere in regards to how much snow, ice and precipitation that there is available.
What are the Atmospheric Circulations?
The Atmospheric Circulations is a large movement of air which distributes thermal heat energy over the earth. This process is split into three groups; The Hadley Cell, the Ferris Cell and the Polar Cell. This process isn't effected by the land mass placement.
The Hadley Cell
At the equator the temperature is hot and relatively stable. Because it is a hot temperature, this hot air rises as it is less dense. This hot air then travels towards the poles. Along this journey it cools and condenses which makes the air more dense and start to fall towards the surface. As a consequence of this we get desert belts. This process drives the circulation over the tropics.
The Polar Cells
This is the smallest of the three circulations and starts at around 60 degrees latitude to the poles. Air in these cells sinks over the highest latitudes and flows out towards the lower latitudes at the surface. This process helps to drive the Jet stream and is at its strongest in the summer period.
The Ferrel Cell
The Ferrel Cell occurs between the tropics to the Arctic circle and the westerly winds can be found underneath this system. They move in the opposite direction to the two the Hadley cell and Polar cell.
( Horton Personal Comm. 245 Lecture)
(31) Youtube Clip
The Atmospheric Circulations is a large movement of air which distributes thermal heat energy over the earth. This process is split into three groups; The Hadley Cell, the Ferris Cell and the Polar Cell. This process isn't effected by the land mass placement.
The Hadley Cell
At the equator the temperature is hot and relatively stable. Because it is a hot temperature, this hot air rises as it is less dense. This hot air then travels towards the poles. Along this journey it cools and condenses which makes the air more dense and start to fall towards the surface. As a consequence of this we get desert belts. This process drives the circulation over the tropics.
The Polar Cells
This is the smallest of the three circulations and starts at around 60 degrees latitude to the poles. Air in these cells sinks over the highest latitudes and flows out towards the lower latitudes at the surface. This process helps to drive the Jet stream and is at its strongest in the summer period.
The Ferrel Cell
The Ferrel Cell occurs between the tropics to the Arctic circle and the westerly winds can be found underneath this system. They move in the opposite direction to the two the Hadley cell and Polar cell.
( Horton Personal Comm. 245 Lecture)
(31) Youtube Clip