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The westerlies are the prevailing direction whence winds and weather move in the northern hemisphere.
It starts with the fact that the sun hits the Equator more directly than the poles (in this most basic, simple description), making the surface air near the Equator relatively hot and the air near the pole relatively cold. Hot air being less dense and more buoyant than cold, convection causes the warm Equatorial air to rise while the colder polar air sinks.
Among other effects, this leads to higher air pressure in the middle levels of the atmosphere near the Equator (because air is buoyant and lifting into, or being added to, this part of the atmosphere) and lower pressure at mid-levels near the poles (because air is dense and sinking away from mid-levels of the atmosphere). So now you have, off the immediate Earth's surface (but even to some extent at the surface), higher air pressure near the Equator and lower air pressure near the poles. Nature and the laws of physics try to eliminate this pressure difference, meaning that air flows from areas of higher pressure toward areas of lower pressure to even things out - at least that's its intent.
This is where the Coriolis effect kicks in. On a non-rotating surface, air moves from higher pressure to lower pressure, directly perpendicular to the gradient (change in pressure with distance). But because of the Earth's rotation, this air flow is spun, in a sense, such that it is almost but not quite parallel to the gradient, keeping lower pressure to its left and higher pressure to its right (it is actually we and the Earth that spin beneath the air, but that is not the way humans on this rotating surface experience it).
Because of the direction the Earth spins, and because of the air movement dictated by all the factors above, the over-simplified result is a band of air that encircles the middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere, with winds that flow from west to east; high pressure near the Equator to its right (south in this case) and the lower polar air pressures to its left. These winds in their more complicated realistic state - stronger here, weaker there, buckled here, warped there, with waves interacting in often complex ways - drive weather systems, and generally keep them moving from west to east - that's the PREVAILING situation anyways - hence "prevailing" westerlies.
What else can I help you with?
Which global wind affects weather in the U.S?
Westerlies
Which describes the direction of prevailing westerlies?
Prevailing westerlies are winds that blow from the west toward the east in the mid-latitudes of both hemispheres, typically between 30 and 60 degrees latitude. These winds are influenced by the Coriolis effect, which causes them to curve towards the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. The prevailing westerlies play a significant role in weather patterns and ocean currents, contributing to the movement of storm systems across continents.
What is the cause of the mid-latitude westerlies?
The mid-latitude westerlies is caused by flow patterns. This pattern is known to be strong.
What is the name of prevailing winds that is in the middle latitude?
The Westerlies
Is the prevailing westerlies the movement of the weather across the US?
Yes, the prevailing Westerlies travel northeast from approximately 30 degrees north latitude to 60 degrees north latitude, which covers most of North America. The prevailing Westerlies is the major wind band that travels over the Unites States.
What causes the prevailing westerlies to deflect?
The Coriolis effect.
How can you put westerlies in a sentence?
the westerlies was warm today
Which global wind affects weather in the U.S?
Westerlies
What causes polar easterlies?
Polar easterlies are winds that move in near the north and south poles at 60 to 90 degrees (north or south). They are next to the prevailing westerlies. The polar easterlies are cold and windy, while the prevailing westerlies are hot and dry. The rotation of the Earth and the Sun's heat causes Polar easterlies.
What global wind affects weather in the U.S.?
westerlies
Why cyclonic rainfall common in the belt of westerlies?
temperate cyclones causes rainfall. westerlies are strong winds..............
What are the three major wind belts?
Trade Winds, Prevailing Westerlies, Polar Westerlies
What do Westerlies do?
East.
What are the 6 major wind belts?
trade winds , prevailing westerlies, polar westerlies,doldrums
Why are westerlies called westerlies?
because of the direction they travel in. they travel from west to east due to the coriolis effect
Which of the surface winds are responsible for most of the weather movement across the US?
prevailing winds
If something is being carried by westerlies what direction is it moving toward?
If something is being carried by westerlies, it is moving from west to east. Westerlies are prevailing winds that flow from the west to the east in the mid-latitudes.
