TROPICAL AIR CIRCULATION A REVIEW OF THE RECENT LITERATURE*

• Published in: Canadian Geographies / Géographies canadiennes
• Main Author: KERR, DONALD
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1959
• Subjects: Pacific; South Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1541-0064.1959.tb01824.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1541-0064.1959.tb01824.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1541-0064.1959.tb01824.x

ABSTRACT. . Since World War 11 research programmes on tropical meteorology have been greatly enlarged and much new literature on the winds and weather of the Tropics has appeared. Accord has been reached on the underlying physical bases of most circulation patterns, but sharp disagreement persists on some aspects, in particular those referring to tropical fronts. This paper attempts, within the framework of the classical circulation systems, the trades, doldrums and monsoons, to review the recent literature and to abstract what is most significant for the geographer. RÉSUMÉ. . Depuis le dernier conflit mondial, la recherche dans le domaine de la météorologie tropicale a connu un essor prestigieux et nombre d'ouvrages sur ce sujet furent publicés. Depuis lors, un accord est intervenu en ce qui concerne les causes physiques des principaux systèmes de circulation atmosphérique, mais quelques différences persistent toujours sur certains points, surtout ceux se rapportant à l'étude des fronts tropicaux. Cette étude pour sa part, examine les ouvrages récents traitant des systèmes conventionnels de circulation, tels que les alizés, les doldrums, et les moussons, et tente d'y en retirer ce qui est le plus significatif pour le géographe. SUMMARY To sum up, the following comments are offered. Upper air circulation in the Tropics can no longer be ignored in any study of the dynamic climatology of low latitudes. The trade winds undergo considerable modification as they blow over the warm oceans. In the eastern oceans they are relatively dry and stable (aloft), and here they attain the highest degree of constancy of direction. To the west they become increasingly disturbed by easterly waves, and rainfall increases accordingly. Where the trajectory over the ocean is short (South Atlantic Ocean) such modification is normally not accomplished; where it is long (over the Pacific Ocean) great modifications take place. There is no constant convergence of the trades at or near the equator, and the clash of the trades depicted on ...