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Unit 4 – Air in Motion - Key Vocabulary
Air mass -are large volumes of air that have a definite area of origin and distinctive
characteristics
Convection Cell - composing of the rising and sinking air moving in a circular fashion similar to
the convection in Earth’s mantle.
Coriolis Effect - changes the intended path of a moving body
Cyclones - are huge rotating masses of low pressure characterized by strong winds and torrential
rain
Doldrums - the boundary between to wind trade belts along the equator
Ferrell Cell - each hemisphere has a Ferrell cell between 30 and 60 degrees latitude
Hadley Cell - around 30 degrees north and south latitude, the air cools off enough to become
denser than the surrounding air so, it begins to descend, completing the loop
Horse Latitudes - the boundary between the trade winds and the prevailing westerlies
Hurricane - are huge rotating masses of low pressure characterized by strong winds and
torrential rain
Intertropical Convergent Zone - it’s the region between the tropics where the trade winds
converge.
Jet Stream - is a narrow, fast moving, easterly flowing air mass
Land Breeze - when an equal amount of solar energy is applied to both land and ocean
Northeast Trade Winds - curve to the right due to the Coriolis Effect and blow from the
northeast to the southwest
Polar Cell - a cell between the 60 and 90 degrees latitude
Polar Easterly Wind Belt - is when air moves away from the high pressure at the poles
Prevailing Westerly Wind Belt - air that descends form in the subtropical regions and moves
along earth’s surface to higher latitudes
Sea Breeze - when an equal amount of solar energy is applied to both land and ocean
Southeast Trade Winds - curve to the left due to the Coriolis Effect and blow from the
southeast to the northwest
Trade Winds - masses of air that move across Earth’s surface from the subtropical high-pressure
belts toward the equatorial low-pressure belt
Typhoon - are huge rotating masses of low pressure characterized by strong winds and torrential
rain