What is an anticyclone? Cyclones and anticyclones - table

Atmospheric phenomena over the centuries have been the object of research because of their importance and influence on all spheres of life. Cyclone and anticyclone are no exceptions. The concept of these weather phenomena is given in school by geography. Cyclones and anticyclones after such a brief study for many remain a mystery. Air masses and fronts are key concepts that will help to reflect the essence of these weather phenomena.

Air masses

It often happens that for many thousands of kilometers in the horizontal direction the air has very similar properties. This mass is called air.

Air masses are divided into cold, warm and local:

- Cold mass is called if its temperature is lower than the temperature of the surface over which it is located;

- Warm - this is such an air mass, the temperature of which is higher than the temperature of the surface that is under it;

- the local air mass in terms of temperature is no different from the surface below it.

Air masses are formed over different parts of the Earth, which leads to features in their properties. If the mass is formed over the Arctic, then, accordingly, it will be called the Arctic. Of course, such air is very cold, it can bring thick fogs or light haze. Polar air considers its temperate latitudes to be its deposit. Its properties can vary depending on what time of year it has come. In winter, the polar masses are not much different from the Arctic, but in summer such air can bring very poor visibility.

Tropical masses, coming from the tropics and subtropics, have a high temperature and an increased dust content. They are the culprits of the haze, which covers objects, if you look at them from a distance. Tropical masses formed on the continental part of the tropical belt lead to dust vortices, storms and tornadoes. Equatorial air is very similar to tropical air, but all these properties are more pronounced.

Fronts

If two air masses with different temperatures meet, a new weather phenomenon is formed-the front, or the interface.

By the nature of the movement fronts are divided into stationary and mobile.

Each existing front divides the air masses among themselves. For example, the main polar front is an imaginary mediator between the polar and tropical air, the main Arctic is between the Arctic and the polar, and so on.

If the warm air mass creeps into the cold air, a warm front arises. For travelers, entry into such a front can portend either torrential rain or snow, which will greatly reduce visibility. When cold air is wedged under a warm air, a cold front is observed. Ships entering the area of the cold front suffer from squalls, showers and thunderstorms.

It happens that the air masses do not collide, but catch up with each other. In such cases, an occlusion front is formed. If the role of catch-up is performed by a cold mass, then this phenomenon is called the front of cold occlusion, if on the contrary, it is the front of warm occlusion. These fronts bear stormy weather with strong gusts of wind.

Cyclones

To understand what an anticyclone is, you need to understand what a cyclone is. This is a region of low pressure in the atmosphere with a minimum index at the center. It is caused by two air streams having different temperatures. Very favorable conditions for their education are created in the fronts. In a cyclone, air moves from its edges, where the pressure is higher, to the center with a low pressure. In the center, the air is allegedly thrown upwards, which makes it possible to form upflows.

By the way the air moves in the cyclone, it is easy to determine in which hemisphere it was formed. If its direction coincides with the clockwise movement, then this is definitely the Southern Hemisphere, if it is against the Northern Hemisphere.

Cyclones provoke such weather phenomena as the accumulation of cloud masses, heavy precipitation, wind and temperature changes.

Tropical Cyclone

From cyclones formed in temperate latitudes, cyclones are separated, which originate from the tropics. They have many names. These are hurricanes (West Indies), and typhoons (east of Asia), and just cyclones (Indian Ocean), and arcanes (south of the Indian Ocean). The dimensions of such vortices range from 100 to 300 miles, and the diameter of the center varies from 20 to 30 miles.

The wind here accelerates to 100 km / h, and this is typical for the whole area of the vortex, which fundamentally distinguishes them from cyclones formed in temperate latitudes.

A sure sign of the approach of such a cyclone is the ripples on the water. And it goes in the opposite direction to the blowing wind or wind, which blew just before.

Anticyclone

The area of high pressure in the atmosphere with a maximum in the center is an anticyclone. The pressure at its edges is lower, which allows air to rush from the center to the periphery. The air, which is in the center, constantly descends and diverges to the edges of the anticyclone. So down streams are formed.

The anticyclone is the opposite of the cyclone also because it follows the clockwise direction in the Northern Hemisphere, in the Southern Hemisphere it goes against it.

Having read all the above information, it is safe to say that such an anticyclone.

An interesting property of anticyclones of temperate latitudes is that they are as if pursuing cyclones. In this case, the inactive state fully characterizes the anticyclone. The weather formed by this vortex is low-clouded and dry. The wind is practically not observed.

Asian anticyclone

The second name for this phenomenon is the Siberian maximum. The duration of his life is about 5 months, namely the end of autumn (November) - the beginning of spring (March). This is not one anticyclone, but several, which very rarely give way to cyclones. The height of the winds reaches 3 km.

Due to the geographical environment (mountains of Asia), cold air can not disperse, which leads to even greater cooling, the temperature near the surface drops to 60 degrees below zero.

Speaking of what an anticyclone is, one can say with confidence that this is an atmospheric whirlwind of enormous dimensions, bringing clear weather without precipitation.

Cyclones and anticyclones. Similarities and differences

In order to understand better what an anticyclone and cyclone are, you have to compare them. The definitions and main aspects of these phenomena have been clarified. It remains an open question about the difference between cyclones and anticyclones. The table will show this difference more clearly.

Thus, we see the difference between cyclones and anticyclones. The table shows that these are not just opposites, the nature of their occurrence is completely different.