Prelims · 3 Physical & World Geography · 3.4 Atmosphere, temperature, pressure and winds

3.4.7 Planetary winds: Coriolis force, trades, westerlies, polar easterlies and the three-cell model

Winds blow from high to low pressure, are bent by the Earth's rotation (Coriolis force) and slowed by friction; on a global scale this gives the trade winds, westerlies and polar easterlies, organised in three cells in each hemisphere.

  • APPSC Group 2 · Prelims
  • Standard level
  • 8 min read
  • Full course

Key terms

  • pressure gradient force
  • friction
  • Coriolis force
  • Ferrel's law
  • geostrophic wind
  • trade winds
  • westerlies
  • roaring forties
  • polar easterlies
  • Hadley cell
  • Ferrel cell
  • polar cell
  • ITCZ
  • doldrums
  • Walker circulation

What this note covers

  1. Core factsFoundation
  2. ExplainedStandard
  3. DeeperAdvanced
  4. Mains writingMains writing
  5. Common trapsFoundation
  6. Quick revisionFoundation

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