Climate and ENSO

• What latitude receives the most sun's energy?

  Equator
• Atmospheric circulation - Hot air rises, and cold air descends which forms wind currents
• Hadley cell - meridional (from one latitude to another) type of atmospheric circulation and for a non-rotating Earth, a simple equator to pole convection is produced.
• Coriolis force - an apparent force that as a result of the earth's rotation deflects moving objects (as projectiles or air currents) to the right in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere
• In the Coriolis force, where is deflection greatest and weakest?

  Greatest: Near the poles Weakest: At the equator
• Ferrel cells - Midlatitude cells in both hemispheres and Circulation in these cells results from the air flowing toward the poles from the subtropical highs which collides with cold air flowing from the poles
• Hadley cell - Warm air converges on the equator and rises forming a belt of low pressure and the humidity of the air increases as it cools down during ascent causing condensation and cloud formation.
• Polar cells - Cold, dense air descends in polar high pressure system and moves toward the equator
• What are the two types of ocean currents?

  Surface currents, deep currents
• Surface currents - Wind-driven and primarily horizontal motion and frictional drag between wind an ocean
• Deep currents - Driven by differences in density caused by differences in temperature and salinity and has vertical and horizontal motions
• Gyres - large, circular ocean currents that are driven by winds and have a low density of nutrients
• What are some factors of surface currents?

  Distribution of continents, gravity, friction, Coriolis effect
• Geostrophic flow - Ekman transport piles up water within subtropical gyres, surface water flows downhill (gravity) and also to the right (Coriolis effect)
• Kuroshio current - A warm, shallow current that flows along the western coast of Japan.