Considering the theory of plate tectonics and the movement of landmasses over geologic time, would you expect atmospheric circulation of the past to be the same as we see today? Why or why not? Consider the factors that determine global wind patterns and whether they have changed over time

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1. I need your assistance in putting together a response to the following earth science question: Considering the theory of plate tectonics and the movement of landmasses over geologic time, would you expect atmospheric circulation of the past to be the same as we see today? Why or why not? Consider the factors that determine global wind patterns and whether they have changed over time.

Considering the theory of plate tectonics and the movement of landmasses over geologic time, we would not expect atmospheric circulation of the past to be the same as we see today. These changes are clearly evident in today's climate. The term climate change refers to global changes in temperature, wind patterns, and precipitation. One explanation for these changes is that they are being driven by a gradual warming of the Earth's atmosphere (commonly referred to as global warming). The Earth's climate has been changing slowly over the centuries. Cold periods have alternated with warm periods. However, these changes have been happening at a much faster and devastating rate in recent years. The 1980s and 1990s were the warmest decades on record. Science indicates that this acceleration is due to human activity http://www.earthday.net/resources/2006materials/default.aspx

However, these wind patterns have changed over geologic time to be in their present form due to plate tectonics and the movement of landmasses over geologic time. Thus, important influences on regional climate can originate in human activity, but also from natural phenomenon (plate tectonics and the changing of the earth's surface). For example, changes to the land surface, such as from urbanization or deforestation (human activity) or from plate tectonics and the movement of landmasses (natural; phenomena), can change patterns of atmospheric heating over these landscapes. This necessarily alters the regional pressure fields and thus the wind pattern. This pressure and wind pattern then affects the pressure and wind patterns at large distances from the region of the heating. Thus regional climate forcings can affect weather not only where the forcing occurs but at long distances from the source of the climate disturbance (http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/admin/publication_files/resource-2467-2006.10.pdf, attached for convenience).

Global Wind Patterns

The region of Earth receiving the Sun's direct rays is the equator. Here, air is heated and rises, leaving low-pressure areas behind. Moving to about thirty degrees north and south of the equator, the warm air from the equator begins to cool and sink. Referring to the diagram below, notice that between thirty degrees latitude and the equator, most of the cooling sinking air moves back to the equator. The rest of the air flows toward the poles. The air movements toward the equator are called trade winds- warm, steady breezes that blow almost continuously. The Coriolis Effect makes the trade winds appear to be curving to the west, whether they are traveling to the equator from the south or north. The trade winds coming from the south and the north meet near the equator. These converging trade winds produce general upward winds as they are heated, so there are no steady surface winds. This area of calm is called the doldrums. Between thirty and sixty degrees latitude, the winds that move toward the poles appear to curve to the east. Because winds are named from the direction in which they originate, these winds are called prevailing westerlies (see diagram in attached response).

Prevailing westerlies in the Northern Hemisphere are responsible for many of the weather movements across the United States and Canada. At about sixty degrees latitude in both hemispheres, the prevailing westerlies join with polar easterlies to reduce upward motion. The polar easterlies form when the atmosphere over the poles cools. This cool air then sinks and spreads over the surface. As the air flows away from the poles, it is turned to the west by the Coriolis effect. Again, because these winds begin in the east, they are called easterlies. Many of these changes in wind direction are hard to visualize. http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/nino/global.html

Thus, as mentioned above, these wind patterns have changed over geologic time to be in their present form. Important influences on wind patterns come plate tectonics and the changing of the earth's surface. For example, changes to the land surface from plate tectonics and the movement of landmasses can change patterns of atmospheric heating over these landscapes. This necessarily alters the regional pressure fields and thus the wind pattern. This pressure and wind pattern then affects the pressure and wind patterns at large distances from the region of the heating. Thus regional climate forcings can affect weather not only where the forcing occurs but at long distances from the source of the climate disturbance. Thus, atmospheric circulation and wind patterns of the past are not the same as we see today.

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