Air <span title="Pressure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?!?!?!?!?">Pressure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?...</span>

Question

Is air pressure at the EQUATOR higher than the air pressure at the POLES? Why? Why not??

i can't seem to wrap my mind around this.

The air pressure could be higher at the equator because warm air expands (thicker). ...but it could also be lower..since warm air rises, whereas the cold air at the poles are denser and fall (more air pressure...? right??)

Please help me!! Please provide an explanation and a reliable source, thank you.

Answer 1

The temperature difference between the equator and the poles generates the global general circulation which redistributes heat from low latitudes to high latitudes. The general circulation is made up of a number of large-scale circulation cells, which consist of rising and descending air. Such large-scale vertical movement of air generates pressure differences across the Earth, which assist the development of surface winds that transfer the heat.

Low pressure develops when air rises. A major zone of low pressure exists at or near the equator, where the strong sunlight heats the Earth&#039;s surface and air in contact with it, causing it to rise. The climate associated with this zone of low pressure and rising air is tropical, with considerable rainfall in the form of daily thunderstorms.

Air rising above the equator spreads out, cools, and descends (because colder air is heavier) in the subtropical zones at 25 to 40° latitude. Descending air increases atmospheric pressure, and subtropical climate is associated with generally clear skies, low rainfall, and high daytime temperatures of over 40°C. Many of the world&#039;s hot deserts are found in this subtropical high-pressure belt. As for the tropical belt of climate the subtropical zone expands towards the higher latitudes during the summer months.

Answer 2

It appears that little study has been devoted to variations in air pressure due to latitude.  One source I did find indicates that there is no easy mathematical description of this variation, even though it does seem to exist.