Question

Where on Earth's surface might you be if you are experiencing the trade winds? Explain how air pressure, temperature, and the Coriolis effect influence the movement and direction of these winds.

Answer 1

You would be in the tropical to sub-tropical latitudes on either side of the equator to experience trade winds. Low pressure areas move air counter-clockwise and in to their center in the northern hemisphere, but spin clockwise and in across the southern hemisphere. High pressure areas spin clockwise and out in the northern hemisphere, while counter-clockwise and out in the southern hemisphere. High pressure does not really affect the trade winds, as pressure are typically low in the tropics. However, low pressure systems can 'bend' the trade winds to move around their center, and low pressure troughs can and do pull sub-tropical air all the way to the poles. The coriolis effect is the earth's rotation bending air movement to the right in the northern hemisphere, and left in the southern hemisphere, which is why the air movement around different pressure systems is flipped going from one hemisphere to the next. This bending of the air currents can cause cyclonic eddies to form, which can help initiate tropical cyclone formation across the globe. As for temperature's influence, remember that high pressure is cold sinking air and low pressure is warmer rising air. Therefore, a large sprawling high pressure system may suppress the trade belt south, while low pressure systems can cause kinks and eddies in the flow by pulling and wrapping the winds in and around them.