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Welcome to the Physical Geography Flashcards Tool.
This is designed as a simple supplementary resource for the textbook ‘Physical
Geography’, and aims to help students grasp the meaning of the key terms
within the book. Each term will appear on its own, and you can then click to
check the definition.
Click or press [space] to begin.
© Cambridge University Press 2012
Chapter 5
The Great System of
Global Air and Ocean
Circulation
term:
Millibar
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definition:
A unit of force (or pressure) equal to one
thousandth of a bar; normal atmospheric
pressure at sea level is 1013.2 millibars (mb).
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term:
Troposphere
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definition:
The lowermost subdivision of the
atmosphere; the layer that contains the bulk
of the atmosphere’s mass and is
characterized by convectional mixing and
temperature that decreases with altitude.
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term:
Cyclone
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definition:
A large low-pressure cell characterized by
convergent airflow and internal instability;
the two main classes of cyclones are
midlatitude cyclones and tropical
cyclones; in some parts of the United
States, tornadoes are also called
cyclones.
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term:
Semipermanent pressure
cells
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definition:
Large pressure cells, such as the subtropical
highs, which exist most of the time in all
seasons within a zone of latitude.
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term:
Subtropical high-pressure
cells
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definition:
Large cells of high pressure, centered at 25
to 30 degrees latitude in both hemispheres,
which are fed by air descending from aloft;
these cells are the main cause of aridity in
tropics and subtropics.
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term:
Hadley cells
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definition:
Large atmospheric circulation cells comprised
of rising air near the equator, poleward flow
aloft, descending air in the subtropics, and
return flow on the surface in the form of trade
winds; concept first proposed by George C.
Hadley in 1735.
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term:
Trade winds
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definition:
The system of prevailing easterly winds,
which flow from the subtropical highs to the
intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) in both
hemispheres; also called the tropical
easterlies.
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term:
Polar front
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definition:
The zone or line of contact in the midlatitudes
between polar arctic air and tropical air; it
often coincides with the polar front jet stream.
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term:
Coriolis effect
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definition:
The effect of the Earth’s rotation on the path
of airborne objects; winds in the northern
hemisphere are deflected to the right and
those in the southern hemisphere are
deflected to the left of their original paths; at
the Equator it is negligible; the Coriolis is an
effect apparent only to observers standing on
the Earth and as such is not a force.
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term:
Geostrophic winds
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definition:
Winds in the upper troposphere which
generally flow parallel to isobars and often
reach high velocities.
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term:
Jet stream
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definition:
Zone of concentrated geostrophic winds; in
the midlatitudes it is called the polar front jet
stream because it often coincides in location
with the polar front.
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term:
Monsoon
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definition:
A seasonal wind system in South Asia which
blows from sea to land in summer, bringing
moisture to the continent, and from land to
sea in winter, bringing dry conditions to India
and neighboring lands.
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term:
Intertropical convergence
zone (ITCZ)
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definition:
The belt of convergent airflow and low
pressure in the equatorial zone (between the
tropics) which is fed by the trade winds.
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term:
Hurricane
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definition:
A large tropical cyclone characterized by
convergent airflow, ascending air in the
interior, and heavy precipitation.
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term:
Wind wave
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definition:
A wave generated by the transfer of
momentum from wind to a water surface.
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term:
Gyre
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definition:
A large circular pattern of ocean currents
associated with major systems of pressure
and prevailing winds; the largest are the
subtropical gyres.
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term:
West-wind drift
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definition:
Ocean current, or drift current, which flows
eastward in the midlatitudes and subarctic,
driven by the prevailing westerly winds.
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term:
Gulf stream
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definition:
A large, warm current in the Atlantic Ocean
that originates in and around the Caribbean
and flows northwestward to the North Atlantic
and northwest Europe.
[end of flashcards]
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