Metr 302.01 Class Notes
Robert Caron
Tiffany Oneal
Housekeeping
Look at the new writing assignment. You can use the
grade from your first writing assignment for the
second writing assignment. Will talk more about it on
Friday.
Lecture
Subtropical highs are in July in the Northern
Atmosphere
The Pacific Ocean has a thermal high called the
Pacific High
The Atlantic Ocean has a thermal high called the
Bermuda High
North America during this time has a thermal low.
The wind direction around the thermal lows is
clockwise and outward. It also has a persistent wind
flow. This wind flow and direction also moves the
oceans in a clockwise motion which causes gyres.
Storm systems float with the wind therefore they move
from east to west
The Coriolis Effect- As a result of the coriolis effect,
air is unable to move towards the low pressure area to equalize
the air pressure. The wind is
moving so fast around the low pressure area that it
hard for the air to go inside. The air can then drift
to the south or be deflected to the right
While there is a low pressure area around the equator
there is no coriolis effect. This means that air can
rush into the bottom and replace the air leaving at
the top. In turn the equator while a low pressure
area can not build up enough strength to become a
Hurricane. Lows die quickly at the equator.
Latent Heat- is the amount of heat the atmosphere gets
due to how much water condenses
For ever gram of water that condenses 590 calories of
heat will warm the atmosphere.
Latent heat relates to storms because air with high
dew points and 100% relative humidity will get
increased amount of heat will the water condenses due
to latent heat
Along with warm water evaporating, latent heat explains
why these tropical storms form into Hurricanes. Latent
heat is a more significant contributor to the intensity
of hurricanes than warm water is.