Global atmospheric circulation
Unequal heating and rotation organize broad circulation patterns.
Key knowledge
Unequal solar heating and Earth's rotation help organize atmospheric circulation. Tropical rising motion and subtropical descent form a broad Hadley circulation, while prevailing winds and other circulation patterns redistribute heat and moisture. Storms and regional geography modify the broad pattern.
Conditions and scope
- A three-cell diagram describes a broad average, not three steady closed loops present everywhere.
- Coriolis deflects moving air in a rotating frame; circulation also requires pressure gradients and energy exchanges.
Sources · 1
References
Sources retain their recorded scope. A source link alone does not establish verification of every statement.
Evidence and review
UCAR uneven-heating, rotating-Earth and circulation-cell explanation.
2026-10-10 · Checked conceptual large-scale scope without a local weather prediction.
Entry details
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