General Circulation of the Atmosphere

Abstract

There are two basic factors that determine the general circulation of the Earth’s atmosphere: the latitudinal change of energy received by the Earth-atmosphere system from the Sun and the corresponding global distribution of angular momentum of the atmosphere (Satoh 2014). Air circulation over the Earth is mainly due to non-equal heating of the Earth’s surface. The Earth’s energy balance involves incoming solar radiation (S) and outgoing thermal infrared radiation (I), which together make up the net radiation (R_n).where α_p is planetary albedo ~0.3, I↓ is downward infrared radiation, and I↑ represents upward infrared radiation. The maximum transport of both properties occurs about the 40 degrees in each hemisphere. The total energy transport maximum is about 6 x 10¹⁵ W, of which ocean currents account for about 6 x 10¹⁵ W. The global atmospheric circulation, pressure distribution, and wind patterns play an integral role in the heat balance of the Earth and the creation of global ocean currents (Randall 2000). At the global atmospheric circulation, there is a transport of warm air from lower latitudes to higher latitudes and cold air from high latitudes to low latitudes. This heat exchange keeps the regions in low latitudes warmer, where there is an excess of total flow of energy throughout the year as a result of continuous heating, and high latitudes colder as a result of continuous cool due to the total energy loss.