Question

Newyork is near 40 degrees N. What general direction is air moving in Newyork

Answer 1

Answer:

The air in New York moves to the north.  

Explanation:

At a global level, it occurs unequal warming of the atmosphere, which depends on many factors and varies with latitude. These temperature differences occur because solar radiation reaches the earth differently at different latitudes degrees. The result is the formation of convective cells of atmospheric air circulation: Hardley cell, Ferrel cell, and Polar cell.    

The term convective cell refers to air getting warm, expanding, getting less dense, and ascending. During ascension, it gets colder because of the change in high, contracting, becoming thicker. Finally, it descends.

In each hemisphere, warm air ascends at the equator and approximately at 60º latitude. Cold air descends at approximately 30º latitude and the poles. These air masses circulation generates superficial winds that blow toward the equator between 0º-30º, and toward the poles between 30º-60º lat.  

Ferrel cell occurs between 30º and 60º latitude. At 30º lat, the cold air coming from the north in the tropopause meets the cold air coming from 0º, and both descend to lower altitudes due to its density and low temperature. When these air masses reach the ground, they diverge.  One part goes to 0º lat, while the other part goes forward to the north.  As it moves north, it gets warmer for being at lower altitudes. At 60º, this warm air coming from the 30º meets the polar air coming from 90º, and as it is warmer it ascends again. When it ascends to the tropopause, it is pushed by new air and moves to the south again. While doing so, it loses heat and becomes denser, descending again at 30º.  And so the cycle starts all over again. New York is located at 40º latitude approximately, so air goes forward to the north pole near the ground, but at 60º it elevates again. New York is then affected by the Ferrel cell.        

In the attached image you will find the three cells, circulating in different directions.