Polar Westerlies and Easterlies
Westerlies Definition
Westerlies are a type of wind that blows from the west to the east. They typically form in the mid-latitudes and have a significant impact on global weather patterns. Westerly winds are the predominant wind in the winter, and they originate from the west of a low-pressure system.
Westerlies are a type of wind that blows from the west. This is because they originate in the Western Hemisphere. They’re most common during winter and spring when cold air masses form over North America and Europe. The winds blow towards the east, which means they can be felt as far away as Asia.
Westerlies can be very powerful, with speeds up to 100 km/h (62 mph). Westerlies can be strong enough to cause significant damage when they occur on land. The jet stream is often associated with westerlies.
The westerlies also have an effect on global atmospheric circulation patterns because they help move air masses around the Earth.
Easterlies Definition
Easterlies are winds that blow from the east to the west. They are typically associated with a warm and dry climate. The term “Easterly” is derived from the Latin word for “east-to-west wind”.
Easterlies are winds that blow from the east, typically during the winter months and often in conjunction with a storm system. Some of these wind patterns can be seen on weather maps as red or pink lines extending eastward from an area of low pressure over Canada.
Easterlies are also called trade winds because they often occur when air masses move towards each other and trade places.
Polar Westerlies and Easterlies
Westerlies in the Northern Hemisphere are winds that blow from west to east, while those in the Southern Hemisphere blow from east to west. Easterlies in the Northern Hemisphere are winds that blow from east to west, while those in the Southern Hemisphere blow from west to east.
-The westerlies and easterlies converge at a polar front in winter, which can lead to air masses of different density meeting and creating strong storms like the “Pineapple Express” on either side of it when moisture-laden air masses combine with cold polar ones.
The westerlies are the prevailing winds on the planet. The tropical easterly trade winds blow hemispheric air into the Hadley Cell, which is dominated by hot air rising to form clouds and precipitation. The Hadley Cell is what creates monsoon climates in sub-tropical regions.
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When the westerlies disappear in the winter, they go around something that disrupts them, like a high-pressure system or land. This creates massive dry zones, where little precipitation occurs; these are known as subtropical deserts. The lack of the westerlies in the summer is called the dog days because it is hot and dry. The westerlies also bring cyclones and hurricanes.
The Westerlies have a poleward component shown in the wind roses of both hemispheres. This poleward component causes winds to reach their maximum strength at about 60 degrees north and south latitude; this is where extratropical cyclones (or mid-latitude cyclones) form.
Because the Hadley Cell is located in a warm airband, it is very unstable and prone to intrusions of cold air from the polar regions. When this happens, extratropical cyclones form, and their strength can be influenced by the extent to which extratropical low-pressure systems or polar fronts steer them.
These extratropical lows and polar fronts can act as weather triggers that initiate precipitation on either side of the polar front passage.
The polar easterlies are an important factor in the global circulation of the atmosphere in winter. They form as a result of the temperature difference between the tropics and polar regions. This temperature difference is greatest during winter, especially at high latitudes, and least during summer.
The polar easterlies are an extension of the Westerlies, although they originate over land. The easterlies go away in the summer.
Although the easterly flows terminate over the ocean, they are often called “ocean currents” because they spread heat across the ocean’s surface in a similar manner to how currents spread the heat around the land.
They follow lines of constant pressure and are therefore also known as isentropic spiral currents. The polar easterlies bring more precipitation and faster winds to areas along their track than do westerlies because they divide air masses with different temperatures.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the polar easterlies are found in both the months of April and October, but they are more predominant in October. In general, they flow towards Russia, where they create strong cold air masses that eventually become polar cyclones. The polar easterlies also create Arctic sea ice during the winter.
In the Southern Hemisphere, the polar easterlies occur primarily during February and March. They move south of Australia, and there they create a stronger flow of air masses over the ocean than in the Northern Hemisphere.
This flow of air causes ocean currents to form around Antarctica. The easterlies are also known as Antarctic easterlies because they have a polar source.
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The westerly winds that sweep across the Northern Hemisphere in summer are persistent and strong. There is a poleward component to the southerly winds, however, that causes them to decrease in strength and veer towards the east in autumn.
June and July are the months when easterlies are most prevalent in the Southern Hemisphere; this is due to two factors: firstly, cold air from Antarctica is more readily available during this time than at other times of the year; and secondly, the summer is when Antarctic sea ice melts.
Because tropical cyclones rotate around a particular center, they remain in the same general area of the ocean even though they can move great distances. Because of this, easterlies that blow from the east can hit tropical areas and bring heavy precipitation onto land.
When these easterlies move across a tropical region, they bring winds with them and change their direction. This occurs because such easterly winds cause tornadoes in the region.
Westerlies are also important to how to land temperatures are affected. They drive the movement of air masses and ocean currents over land. They are also important because they bring microbes that will make it possible for people to live in uninhabitable areas.
The westerlies are known for bringing water vapor, which is one of the most abundant greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, from the midlatitudes to the polar regions. This happens on a global scale and is important because it helps to create a moist climate in places where it would otherwise be dry.
The westerlies are also the cause of what is known as the Hadley circulation, which in turn controls both temperature and precipitation patterns on a global scale.
The westerlies can be seen all over the world, but they exist in different forms; in places like Africa and India, there are monsoon winds that drive hurricanes and influence precipitation. These monsoon winds can be affected by the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) phenomenon, which is a variation in sea surface temperatures.