Planetary Scale Baroclinity Part 2 [HD Video]

CONVECTIVE CELLS

Air converges (or any place that is heated more than anywhere else during the year) at the equator, there it rises due to the instability and condenses at higher altitudes. When the air reaches the level of thermal equilibrium, it is dry, and will then begin to diverge and move toward both sides of the equator. When it reaches near 30 degrees north or south, it will sink creating a stable air mass. This is why the primary high pressure systems such as the Bermuda high, and the Azores high are located near subtropical regions. Further, if you look at global water vapor imagery, you will notice that that most of the time the air near the subtropical regions in both hemispheres are drier than anywhere else. Now as the air parcels sink, they will warm adiabatically; some will flow back toward the equator and some will continue to flow toward the poles. Now, since the air that is moving toward the poles is adiabatically warmed, it will start to acquire positive buoyancy and rise again, and it is commonly known as the Ferrel Cell. Meanwhile, air is sinking incessantly at the poles, and this area of sinking air is commonly known as the polar high. So, whats next? The sinking from the poles will then flow southward and warm adiabatically. As it continues to move southward, it will eventually meet with another area of rising air (Ferrel Cell) that is moving northward. Once both of air masses meet, they will converge, just like what happened at the ITCZ.

So you should be asking...How does these events relate to atmospheric baroclinity?
Well think about itThe temperature and pressure gradients within the earth is what helps these regions of key convergence to form. If the earth was flat, there would be no Hadley, polar, and Ferrell Cell. In fact, mid-latitude cyclones would not exist, since there would only be one air mass. Only mesoscale baroclinity would remain.

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[pokerguy17]

My question is, if there was only one air mass and no cells of any kind, wouldn't that create barotropic conditions, instead of baroclinic conditions? Think about it, uniform temperature and pressure, so no gradients of any kind; isn't that what constitutes as barotropic?

[FutureMeteorologist]

Yes you are correct, there would only a barotropic air mass if the earth was flat (no coriolis force and no temerature variaton between latitudes). However localized thunderstorms would still form, and the area between the updraft and the downdraft is a mesoscale baroclinic zone.

[nicegirlatmiami]

this is Good to know

[FutureMeteorologist]

Thanks =]

[CaptainObvious607]

Excellent explanation, really helped me a lot. Thanks for uploading man!

[pokerguy17]

FutureMeteorologist,

Ok, so with a barotopic air mass how would thunderstorms form and how would a mesoscale baroclinic zone manifest itself because of this?

[pokerguy17]

At the end of your presentation, you were talking about what would happen without the existence of pressure and temperature gradients. You said that the absence of planetary scale pressure and temperature gradients would cause hadley, ferrell, polar cells, and mid-latitude cyclones not to exist, since there would be only one air mass. You then went on to say there would only be mesoscale baroclinity that would exist.