FLUID MODELING EXPERIMENTS ON PHYSICAL MECHANISM OF ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION OVER THE EAST PART OF NORTHERN HEMISPHERE

KeyWord:Rotating fluid experiment;Atmospheric circulation;Physical modeling

Abstract:

      Physical modeling experiments have been performed in a rotating fluid dishpan to study the physical mechanism of the formation of the mean atmospheric circulation over the east part of summer Northern Hemisphere. As the heat source the charged nickel-chromium alloy wire is used to head the bottom surface of the dishpan, and the circulating cold water in a thin brass pipe paved under the fluid container is used as the cold source, to refrigerate the dishpan bottom. The heat and cold sources are distributed at the stereographic projection map of Northern Hemisphere on the dishpan bottom. The influence of westerlies of middle and high latitudes, and the temperature difference between sea and land, the mechanical obstruction of Tibetan Plateau terrain on the westerly current, the elevated heating of the plateau and the influence of cross-equatorial currents that affect the formation of the mean summer atmospheric circulation over Asia have been tested. The experiments show that the atmospheric circulation over the east part of the summer Northern Hemisphere is produced by a compound influence of the abovementioned factors, and each of them possesses its unique and non-substitution role.