Atmospheric Circulation and Winds

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What are Monsoon Winds?

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Local winds that bring summer thunderstorms and heavy rain to the American Desert Southwest.

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What are Santa Ana Winds?

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Local winds that bring hot, dry air from the Great Basin deserts over the mountains of Southern California, often causing extreme wildfire conditions.

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What are Continental air masses?

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Air masses that are usually dry and form over large bodies of land.

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What are Tropical air masses?

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Air masses that are usually warm and form near 0° latitude.

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At which latitude would you most likely find polar conditions?

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90° N and S.

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What are Sea Breezes?

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Local winds that occur during the day when cooler air from the sea moves inland to replace rising warm air.

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What are Polar Easterlies?

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Cold winds that blow from the polar regions towards the equator.

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What is the Coriolis Effect?

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The deflection of moving objects caused by the rotation of the Earth, affecting wind and ocean currents.

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What is a Jet Stream?

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A fast-flowing air current found in the atmosphere, typically at the tropopause, influencing weather patterns.

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What is Atmospheric Pressure?

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The force exerted onto a surface by the weight of the air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth.