Section 9.2 Observed circulation patterns
NOAA Jetstream: https://www.weather.gov/jetstream/circ
Global Circulation Model: Observation
tropical trade winds converging in Intertropical convergence zone (ICTZ) (region of the doldrums)
midlatitude westerlies encounter the polar easterlies along the polar front
Idealized zonal pressure belts:
The equatorial low is an intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).
Subtropical highs (STH) are high-pressure zones in the belts about 20°–35° latitude on either side of the equator.
Polar highs near the Earth’s poles are where the polar easterlies originate.
Monsoons
seasonal reversal of winds; generally driven by pressure differences.
The Asian monsoon, which affects India and its surrounding areas, China, Korea, and Japan.
The North American monsoon occurs in the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico: this monsoon is driven by the extreme temperatures, which generate a low-pressure center over Arizona and results in a circulation pattern that brings moist air from the Gulf of California and from the Gulf of Mexico, to a lesser degree.
Cloud and Precipitation patterns also show clear trends related to planetary circulation