West winds of temperate latitudes are ... Western winds of temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere

West winds of temperate latitudes are winds arising due to different pressure in the atmosphere. Mostly they are formed on the boundary between land and oceans, seas. From the name, you can identify areas where they can blow - in temperate zones of southern latitudes and northern.

Where can the

Western winds of temperate latitudes are movements of air masses that have a range of action ranging from 35 degrees north to 65 degrees south latitude. These boundaries lie between the subtropical ridge and end at the polar front. The winds form massive cyclones and vortices covering entire continents.

Western winds of temperate latitudes are the sources of extratropical cyclones, which deafen the tropical winds encountered with them. But the latter again intensify due to the vortex form of the western winds and become even more destructive. Depending on the seasons, the force of winds also changes.

In winter, the speed of cyclones increases significantly. Western winds of temperate latitudes are the main moving air masses of the Southern Hemisphere. This is due to the huge space covered by the water column. Passing through the territory of the land, the winds lose their power.

Climate of the planet

The western winds of the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere affect the climate of the whole Earth. The strength of the motion of air masses determines how much heat or moisture will be displaced due to the difference in pressures above the land and sea, the ocean. The summer period is less windy due to the decrease in the pressure difference over the poles.

The western winds of the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere affect the climate not only of the ambient air. Wind direction determines the direction of ocean currents, the density of vegetation and the population of the animal kingdom on land and in water. The directions of warm and cold currents change .

The western winds of temperate latitudes never abate. In the zone of their action, the increased activity of cyclones, but in the equatorial part of the planet, they still do not prevail. Subtropical cyclones are picked up here.

Seasons

The western winds of the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere blow all year in the northern strip from 60 degrees south latitude. Their average wind speed, ranging from 7 to 13 m / s, is recorded. Often these winds suddenly amplify and cause destructive hurricanes. It is in winter that it is unsafe in the subtropics. There is a huge amount of typhoons, tsunamis.

Western winds of temperate latitudes bring moisture to the coast and at the same time take away a significant part of the heat from the land. When the air moves from the shore to the ocean with great force, cyclical twists begin to form for many kilometers. On the images from space, one can observe white clouds spiraling over the Pacific Ocean, the seas, the Atlantic. There are other names for the western winds according to the latitude of location: the howling fifties winds and roaring forties.

How is cyclones formed?

Air gusts predominate in the stratosphere, and pressure drops also form in the troposphere. And the areas with high pressure always belong to the Northern Tropics. There the pressure of air masses is much higher and it practically does not fall off.

Due to the formation of irregularities in the air, western winds of temperate latitudes begin to form. The causes are due to the heat received from the sun. The cyclones themselves, which are seen from space as twisted clouds, appear due to physical phenomena from the rotation of the planet.

A regularity is established, the western winds tend to shift to the eastern hemisphere, which contributes to the formation of an air flow going from west to east. Non-uniform strips of cyclones are shifted depending on the time of year.

The names of streams of air masses

Each movement of the air mass got its name:

• Winds moving from north to east are called trade winds.
• The movement of masses in the higher layers from the south to the west is called antipassata or western winds.

Western winds are called "Westlice" or "belt of western winds", you can often hear another name - "brave West". The higher the layers of air masses, the stronger the gusts arise, and the more they are constant. The range of winds increases proportionally with the rise.

Studies of the winds were useful for seafarers. Following the laws of the movement of the winds, with the help of a sailboat it is possible to overcome the vast distances of the Pacific Ocean. The name "trade wind" originated from the Dutch language and in translation into Russian means "permanent". In the Middle Ages, seamen adapted to catch constant winds and there were entire sea routes. One such journey on sail has gained popularity: from Europe straight to the New World.

Getting on the land, the western winds bring rain, squalls of water fall out for a short period of time. Everyone knows the sudden heavy rain rains. They are manifestations of the trade winds.

The Southern and Northern trade winds are separated from one another by a strip of the intra-tropical zone. The reciprocal interaction of cyclones is excluded due to the rotation of the planet. At the same time, the constancy of the trade winds is ensured. After all, they do not stop all year, only wind power is replaced.

Natural patterns

Trade winds can be strengthened by the vertical movement of air masses. The temperature drops on the surface contribute to the rapid lowering of heavy air from the upper layers of the atmosphere. Due to it, the horizontal gusts mix with the appropriate gusts. Acceleration is sudden and leads to an acceleration of the wind along the water surface. The rush is so strong that it approaches the land in the form of a typhoon in a few hours.

Often, natural disasters on tropical islands take visitors by surprise. Predicting the development of strong trade winds is extremely difficult. The increase in wind speed occurs according to the laws of Coriolis or, more simply, along the circumference, air flows coincide. Where and at what time the next change in pressure will occur, only scientists who observe events directly in the field of cataclysm formation can say.

Types of air flow

Trade winds over the oceans are characterized by heavy rainfall. Moisture of winds from the surface of the water. There are similar movements of air masses over the deserts. They never bring "good news" to its inhabitants. It never rains, not a drop of moisture falls on the hot earth.

These winds are also called trade winds, only not the sea, but desert. They are dry due to the peculiar movement of air. Layers in these areas from the lower layers can not rise higher, releasing all the moisture on the coast. Toward the land continues to move dry tropical air, which blows without stopping throughout the year.