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Atmospheric Circulation Exercise - (20 points total)
Quesitons 1 – 4: See map for answers.
5. Which city (A, B, C, D, E, or F) is most likely to be located in a desert? Circle the location on the map and
write the answer here _________B___________ (2 points)
6. Which city (A, B, C, D, E, or F) is most likely to be located in a rain forest? Circle the location on the map
and write the answer here __________C__________ (2 points)
EXTRA CREDIT: Draw a shaded region or box in two areas where fine-grained wind-deposited sediment might
be found in the oceans. (2 points) See Map
Oceanic Circulation Exercise - (20 points total)
Quesitons 1 – 3: See map for answers.
4. In question 5 of the previous exercise you were asked to identify the city most likely to be located in a desert.
(5 points)
a. Which type of boundary current (Western or Eastern) is located next to that location:
Eastern Boundary Current
b. Using your knowledge of oceanic and atmospheric circulation here on Earth, does the type of boundary
current located next to the city you believe to be in a desert support your decision? Why or why not?
Yes. Eastern Boundary Currents bring cold water from the polar regions to the equator. This dries
out the air above it. In addition, at 30° latitude (N & S) is where the air in the Ferrel and Hadley
circulation cells meet and descend back down towards the planet’s surface. As the air descends, it
heats up and dries out. This makes the air even more arid. Combine that with a lack of rainfall and
the makings of a desert are in hand.
5. In question 6 of the previous exercise you were asked to identify the city most likely to be located in a
rainforest. (5 points)
a. Which type of boundary current (Western or Eastern) is located next to that location:
Western Boundary Current
b. Using your knowledge of oceanic and atmospheric circulation here on Earth, does the type of boundary
current located next to the city you believe to be in a rainforest support your decision? Why or why not?
Yes. Western Boundary Currents bring warm water from the equatorial regions to the poles. This
makes the air above it warm and humid. In addition, the equatorial region is where the air from the
two Hadley circulation cells meet and rise up towards the upper atmosphere. As the air rises it cools,
expands and water vapor condenses to form clouds and precipitation. The warm, humid air
combined with the nearly constant rainfall creates the perfect conditions for a rainforest to form.