GEOGRAPHY ASSIGNMNT

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND WIND CIRCULATION

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:

DURGA NARUKA DR. ANAMIKA SINGH
BA PASS COURSE
SEMESTER 3
INDEX

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Iwould like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my geography teacher,

DR ANAMIKA SINGH for the invaluable guidance and support
provided throughout the duration of the geography assignment .
Their expertise and encouragement have been instrumental in helping
me navigate the complexities of the subject matter and develop a
deeper understanding of geographical concepts.
I am also truly grateful for the encouragement and patience of my
principal, who has consistently supported my academic endeavors and
provided a conducive learning environment. Furthermore, I would like
to express my deepest appreciation to my family for their unwavering
support and understanding during the project. Their belief in my
abilities and their constant encouragement have been a source of
strength for me
. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work on this project and for
the guidance and support that have been extended to me. It is an
experience that I will always cherish and one that has undoubtedly
enriched my understanding of geography
NAME; DURGA NARUKA.

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CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that DURGA NARUKA of BA

PASS COURSE has completed her geography
assignment titled Atmospheric Pressure and
Wind Circulation under the guidance of DR.
ANAMIKA SINGH for semester 3. She has been
dedicated throughout her research and
completed her work before the given deadline
without missing any important details from the
assignment. It is also certified that this
assignment is the individual work by her and
can be submitted for evaluation.

DR. ANAMIKA SINGH DURGA NARUKA

(Teacher’s signature ) BA PASS COURSE

(Student’s signature)

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INTRODUCTION

AIR PRESSURE IS DEFINED AS TOTAL WEIGHT OF A MASS OF COLUMN OF AIR

ABOVE PER UNIT AREA AT SEA LEVEL. THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS
MAXIUMUM AT THE SEA LEVEL. AIR PRESSURE IS MEASURED IN THE TERMS OF
HEIGHT OF MERCURY IN THE GLASS TUBE. AIR PRESSURE IS MEASURED WITH
THE HELP OF MERCURIAL BAROMETER (FORTIN’S BAROMETER), ANEROID
BAROMETER, ALTIMETER, BAROGRAPH, MICROBAROGRAPH,ETC.
THE LINES JOINING THE PLACES OF EQUAL PRESSURE AT SEA LEVEL ARE CALLED
ISOBARS. AIR PRESSURE DECREASES WITH INCREASING ALTITUDES AT THE
RATE OF 0.1 INCH OR 3.4 MB PER 600 FEET BUT THIS RATE OF DECREASE IS
CONFINED TO THE ALTITUDE OF A FEW THOUSAND FEET ONLY, NORMALLY, HALF
OF THE TOTAL ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS CONFINED TO THE ALTITUDE OF 1800
FEET.
AIR PRESSURE ALSO VARIES SEASONALLY,DIURNALLY AND SPATIALLY. ON AN
AVERAGE IT VARIES FROM 982 MB TO 1033 MB. THE HGHEST SEA LEVEL
PRESSURE OF 1075.2 MB WAS RECORDED AT IRKUTSK IN SIBERIA ON 14
JANUARY, 1893 WHILE THE LOWEST SEA LEVEL PRESSURE OF 877 MB WAS
RECORDED IN MARINA ISLANDS . THERE IS INVERSE RELTIONSHIP BETWEEN
TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE THAT IS IF TEMPERATURE INCREASES PRESSURE
DECREASES AND VICE VERSA.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE IS CONTROLLED BY ALTITUDE,
TEMPERATURE, AIR CIRCULATION, ROTATION OF THE EARTH, WATER VAPOUR
ETC. THE RATE OF PRESSURE PER UNIT HORIZONTAL DISTANCE IS CALLED
PRESSURE GRADIENT.

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WEATHER INSTRUMENTS USED TO
MEASURE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

MERCURIAL
BAROMETER OR
FORTIN’S
BAROMETER

ANEROID
BAROMETER

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 THERE ARE two basic types of pressure systems:
the low, or cyclone, and the high, or anticyclone.
These are represented by the capital letters L
and H that we commonly see on TV, newspaper,
and official weather maps. A low, or cyclone, is
an area where air is ascending. As air moves
upward away from the surface, it relieves
pressure from that surface. In this case,
barometer readings will begin to fall. A high, or
anticyclone, is just the opposite. In a high, air is
descending toward the surface and thus
barometer readings will begin to rise, indicating
an increased pressure on the surface. Lows and
highs are illustrated in FIGURE

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Distribution of Atmospheric
Pressure
Isobars depict the distribution of atmospheric
pressure on a map. An isobar is a hypothetical
line constructed between two points with equal
atmospheric pressure at sea level.

1.Vertical Variation of Pressure

2.Horizontal Variation of Pressure

1.Vertical Distribution of Pressure: Vertical

pressure distribution refers to the columnar
distribution of air pressure. Although air pressure
lowers as the altitude rises, it does not necessarily do
so at the same rate. The lowest sections of the
atmosphere, near the mean sea level, contain dense
components.

2. Horizontal Distribution of Pressure: On the

surface of the planet, pressure gradients are tiny, yet
even a slight change in pressure has a big impact on
wind speed and direction. Isobars are used to study
the horizontal distribution of atmospheric pressure. One
or more isobars surround the low-pressure system, with
the lowest pressure in the center. High pressure is
similarly encased by one or more isobars, with the
highest pressure at the center. We study the isobars of
January and July because they are the wettest months
of the year for a huge area of the globe.

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DISTRIBUTION OF AIR PRESSURE

VERTICLE DISTRUTION HORIZONTAL DISTRIBUTION

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Pressure Belts

 Pressure belts are areas on Earth that are

dominated by either high or low-pressure
cells. On the surface of the Earth, the high
and low-pressure belts alternate. The
atmospheric pressure fluctuates indirectly
with temperature in general. There are seven
pressure bands on the earth's surface. The
Equatorial Low, two Subtropical Highs, two
Subpolar Lows, and two Polar Highs comprise
the four. The others, with the exception of
the Equatorial low, form matching pairs in the
Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Over
the world, there is a pattern of alternate high
and low-pressure belts. This is related to the
earth's spherical form, which causes uneven
heating in different places of the globe.
Throughout the year, the Equatorial region
receives a lot of heat The air in the Equator
rises because warm air is light, resulting in
low pressure. High pressure is
created/formed at the poles due to the cold,
heavy air. It's also because of the earth's
rotation.The rotation of the globe drives the
bulk of the air towards the Equator in the
Subpolar zone about latitudes 60° to 65°
North and South of the Equator, creating a
low-pressure belt in this region.

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(i) The Equatorial Low Pressure Belt

 The sun shines almost vertically on the equator

throughout the year. As a result the air gets warm
and rises over the equatorial region and produce
equatorial low pressure. This belt extends from
equator to 10º N and 10 º S latitudes. Due to
excessive heating horizontal movement of air is
absent here and only conventional currents are
there. Therefore this belt is called doldrums (the
zone of calm) due to virtual absence of surface
winds.These are the regions of convergence
because the winds flowing from sub tropical high
pressure belts converge here.This belt is also
known as-Inter Tropical Convergence Zone
(ITCZ).

(ii) The Sub-tropical High Pressure BeltsThe

sub-tropical high pressure belts extend from the tropics
to about 35 º latitudes in both the Hemispheres. In the
northern hemisphere it is called as the North sub-
tropical high pressure belt and in the southern
hemisphere it is known as the South sub-tropical high
pressure belt. The existence of these pressure belts is
due to the fact that the up rising air of the equatorial
region is deflected towards poles due to the earth’s
rotation.After becoming cold and heavy, it descends in
these regions and get piled up. This results in high
pressure.Calm conditions with feeble and variable
winds are found here,In olden days vessels with cargo
of horses passing through these belts found difficulty in
sailing under these calm conditions.They used to throw
the horses in the sea in order to make the vessels
lighter. Henceforth these belts or latitudes are also
called ‘horse latitudes’.These are the regions of
divergence because winds from these areas blow
towards equatorial and subpolar low pressure belts.
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(iii) The Sub-polar low Pressure Belts The sub-
polar low pressure belts extend between 45 º N and the
Arctic Circle in the northern hemisphere and between
45°S and the Antarctic Circle in the southern
hemisphere.They are known as the North sub-polar low
and the South sub-polar low pressure belts
respectively. Winds coming from the sub-tropical and
the polar high belts converge here to produce cyclonic
storms or low pressure conditions.This zone of
convergence is also known as polar front.

(iv) The Polar High Pressure Belts

 In polar regions, sun never shines vertically. Sun

rays are always slanting here resulting in low
temperatures. Because of low temperature, air
compresses and its density increases. Hence, high
pressure is found here. In northern hemisphere the
belt is called the North polar high pressure belt
while it is known as the South polar high pressure
belt in the southern hemisphere. Winds from these
belts blow towards sub-polar low pressure belts

Shifting of Pressure belts

 This system of pressure belts is a generalised
picture.
 In reality, the location of these pressure belts is not
permanent.
 They shift northward in July and southward in
January, following the changing position of the
sun’s direct rays as they migrate between the
Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
 The thermal equator (commonly known as the belt
of highest temperature) also shifts northwards and

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 southwards of the equator.With the shifting of
thermal equator northwards in summer and
southwards in winter, there is also a slight shift in
pressure belts towards north and south of their
annual average location.


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