Colloquio di Fisica: Atmospheric symmetric circulation: how Cristoforo Colombo discovered America and why there are rainy winter in Europe

Martedì 10 settembre 2024  alle ore 14:30 Il prof. Marcello Petitta del Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica di Roma Tre, terrà il Colloquio di Fisica dal titolo "Atmospheric symmetric circulation: how Cristoforo Colombo discovered America and why there are rainy winter in Europe"

Abstract:
This talk describes the main physical mechanisms of the symmetric atmospheric circulation, focusing on the dynamics of the tropical circulation and the mid-latitude circulation in the context of the Hadley and Ferrel cells. In this talk, we will also describe the impact of the symmetric circulation on historical events and present-day climate patterns. We will begin by examining the Hadley cell, which is characterized by rising warm air at the equator and descending cool air at subtropical latitudes. We move on to the Ferrel cell and examine its role in shaping Europe's rainy winters. The Ferrel cell, which lies between the Hadley cell and the polar cell, generates the mid-latitude westerly winds that bring moist air from the Atlantic to Europe.
This discussion analyses how the interaction between the Hadley cell and the Ferrel cell contributes to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which significantly influences European weather patterns.
By linking the physical mechanisms of the Hadley and Ferrel cells to climate phenomena, this lecture emphasizes the crucial role of the different physical mechanisms responsible for atmospheric circulation. The insights gained relate to our understanding of the complex interplay between atmospheric dynamics and climatic events and emphasize the importance of atmospheric circulation for the interpretation of past and the prediction of future climate conditions.

Aula C - Via della Vasca Navale 84
(image: The Atmosphere, 8th edition, Lutgens and Tarbuck, 8th edition, 2001)

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