User:Jkasd/Climate draft
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Causes
editThe circulation of the atmosphere is caused by the fact that air moves from places of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Usually, the variations are caused by temperature fluctuations, which in turn are principally caused by the sun.
Sun
editThe uneven heating of the earth's surface by the sun, causes pressure differences which are the primary cause of atmospheric circulation. Imagine an idealized planet in which the equator of the planet receives more heat from the sun than the polar sections. (Ignoring the coriolis and other effects.) The air at the equator expands and rises, causing an equatorial low. Air from the polar sections of the planet, having a higher pressure, would move in to replace it. Meanwhile, the rising air at the equator would go towards the poles, forming a convection cell. This idealized model of a cell is actually similar to the Hadley cell.
If we take into account the Coriolis effect, we see that a more complex picture is generated. The Coriolis effect makes the winds curve, causing the flow of the air to become parallel to the latitudes of the planet. This curving causes additional belts to form, with Ferrel type cells in between. Depending on the speed of the planet, different numbers of cells may form. Earth, which rotates once on its axis in 24 hours, has six belts, while Jupiter, which rotates once on its axis in about 10 hours, has 10 belts.