Why is air pressure lower near the equator when compared to the north and South Pole?

Why is air pressure lower near the equator when compared to the north and South Pole?

The air that rises at the equator does not flow directly to the poles. At the same time, the sinking air at the north pole flows south and collides with the air moving north from the 30° high pressure area. The colliding air is forced upward and an area of low pressure is created near 60° north.

Why is the air pressure low near the equator?

Equatorial regions is hotter and the air above expands, becomes less dense and rises. This produces a low pressure belt at this latitude.

Is air pressure greater at the South Pole or at the equator?

Descending air causes high air pressures. The south pole is higher than the north pole because it is over land. At the poles it is very cold and dense, while the equator is warm and less dense so air pressure is lower.

Why is there high pressure at the north and South Pole?

The cold temperatures in the polar regions cause air to descend to create the high pressure (a process called subsidence), just as the warm temperatures around the equator cause air to rise to create the low pressure intertropical convergence zone. …

Is air pressure high at poles?

The cold air at the poles is denser than the warm air at the equator; hence, air pressure at sea level is higher at the poles than at the equator.

Why is there low pressure at the equator?

At the equator there is an area of low pressure, due to the rising and expanding air. At around 30º North the sinking air creates an area of high pressure. This cell is thermally direct.

Why do some areas have lower air pressure than others?

This is, in part, because the Earth is not equally heated by the Sun. Areas where the air is warmed often have lower pressure because the warm air rises. These areas are called low pressure systems.

Why is the air at the Poles colder than at the equator?

The mass upflow or down flow of air in a given region is a factor that affects the air pressure. The density of the atmosphere near the surface is not constant, in other words. At the poles it is very cold and dense, and the equator it is warm and less dense.

How are the winds of a high pressure system related to the equator?

Swirling in the opposite direction from a low pressure system, the winds of a high pressure system rotate clockwise north of the equator and counterclockwise south of the equator. This is called anticyclonic flow. Air from higher in the atmosphere sinks down to fill the space left as air is blown outward.