Air Pressure

The Energy-Atmosphere
System
The pressure
exerted by the
weight of air above
a given point,
usually expressed in
Atmospheric and Oceanic Circulations millibars (mb) or
inches of mercury
(in. Hg)

Air Pressure Air Pressure Measurement

Measurement
Aneroid barometer:
Mercury barometer: – Small, sealed chamber
– Column of mercury under partially emptied of air
vacuum in a glass tube – Chamber connected to
– Air pressure pushes down a mechanism that is
on mercury in dish sensitive to changes in
the chamber
– Mercury rises or falls with
changes in air pressure – As air pressure varies,
mechanism moves
needle on a dial

Air Pressure Readings

Wind Description and Measurement

⚫ Wind is the
horizontal motion of
air across Earth’s
surface
⚫ Turbulence refers to
wind updrafts and
downdrafts

Measured by radar
scatterometer aboard
the Seasat satellite

Figure 6.3

1
 Doppler Radar

Doppler uses
backscatter from two
radar pulses to detect
the direction of
moisture droplets
towards or away from
the radar source, which
in turn indicates wind
speed and direction
Measuring wind:
• Anemometer measures wind speed
• Wind vane determines the wind direction

Winds Represented On Maps Driving Forces within the

Atmosphere

⚫ Gravity
⚫ Pressure Gradient Force
⚫ Coriolis Force
⚫ Friction Force

Pressure Gradient Force Isobars

⚫ A pressure gradient force is created because of a pressure ⚫ Isobars are lines of equal pressure
difference between high- and low-pressure areas
⚫ The closer together the lines, the stronger the wind
⚫ Winds tend to move from high to low pressure

2
 Pressure Gradient Force Alone
Coriolis
Effect

The apparent
deflection or
curvature of an
object from a
straight line on a
rotating platform

Figure 6.8

Coriolis deflection
Coriolis Force and Global Scale Winds Coriolis Force of a flight path from
the North Pole to
⚫ Because Earth is a sphere Quito, Ecuador, on
and rotates on its axis, air the equator
moving across the surface
appears to curve.
⚫ In the northern
hemisphere, this curvature
is to the right.
⚫ In the southern
hemisphere, this curvature
is to the left.

Figure 6.9

Pressure Gradient + Coriolis Force

For Upper Level (Geostrophic) Winds

Coriolis
Force

Geostrophic winds are characteristic of upper tropospheric circulation

Figure 6.9 Figure 6.8

3
 Wind
Coriolis Effect Frictional
Force

⚫ The effects of wind friction near the surface extends to a height of

about 500 m (1650 ft)
⚫ Variables affecting friction:
– Surface texture
– Wind speed
– Time of day and year
– Atmospheric conditions

Wind Frictional Force Pressure + Coriolis + Friction

⚫ Near the surface,
(Surface Winds)
friction disrupts
equilibrium between
Pressure Gradient
and Coriolis forces
⚫ Frictional force
causes surface winds
to flow at an angle to
isobars
⚫ Forms:
– Anticyclone
– Cyclone

Figure 6.8

Pressure + Coriolis + Friction

(Surface Winds)
Wind Pattern Devolopment

Figure 6.7

4
 Surface Winds Surface Winds
Surface winds diverge (move away from) high-pressure area Surface winds converge (flows towards) low-pressure area

Diverging surface winds rotate clockwise around high in

Converging surface winds rotate counterclockwise
northern hemisphere to form anticyclone
around low in northern hemisphere to form cyclone

Geostrophic And Surface Winds Geostrophic and Surface Winds

Air aloft converges and sinks in high pressure areas Air rises and diverges aloft in low pressure areas

Surface winds diverge (flow away) from high pressure areas Surface winds converge (flow towards) low pressure areas

Low Pressure System Over North

America On October 26, 2010
Cyclones and Anticyclones

5
 Primary High- And Low-Pressure Areas
High- and Low-Pressure Areas

⚫ Primary high- and low-pressure areas:

– Interrupted cells or uneven belts of similar pressure
that stretch across the globe

⚫ Secondary high- and low-pressure areas are

smaller than the primary systems:
– Form within the primary pressure areas
– Range from a few hundred to a few thousand
kilometers in diameter
– Hundreds to thousands of meters high

Figure 6.10

Primary High- And Low-Pressure Areas

Primary High-Pressure and Low-
Pressure Areas

⚫ Equatorial low-pressure trough

⚫ Subtropical high-pressure cells
⚫ Subpolar low-pressure cells
⚫ Polar high-pressure cells

Figure 6.10

Troposphere and Troposphere and

Tropopause Tropopause

Troposphere is
Troposphere is
cold (blue) near
warm (orange)
poles. Air is
near equator. Air
denser and
puffs up.
compressed.
Tropopause at
Tropopause at
higher (18 km)
lower (8 km)
altitude
altitude

6
Troposphere and Intertropical
Tropopause Convergence
Zone
Jet streams (blue
Warm air rises
ovals) occur at the
within the ITCZ
boundaries of
contrasting
(different temp.)
air masses

Rising warm air creates

an equatorial trough,
low- pressure belt
called the Doldrums

ITCZ
Intertropical
Intertropical
Convergence
Convergence
Zone (ITCZ)
Zone

⚫ Rising warm air generates band of low pressure along the ITCZ
⚫ ITCZ also known as the doldrums:
– Over oceans, winds are light
– Monotony of the weather has given rise to the expression “down in the
doldrums”
⚫ Climate is wet (rainforests on land)
Figure 6.11

Trade
Winds
Converge
Along The
ITCZ

⚫ In northern hemisphere, trade winds blow mainly towards the southwest

(N.E. Trade Winds):
– Utilized by mariners for trade when traveling from Europe to America
– Caused Columbus to land in West Indies rather than continental North
America
⚫ In southern hemisphere, trade winds blow mainly towards the northwest (S.E.
Trade Winds)

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End Lecture 4a