Image:Atmos-circ-jja.png

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Atmos circulation in June-July-August (JJA). The pictures are zonal means, from the South Pole (at the left) to the NP at the R and from the surface (bottom, 1000 hPa) to 100 hPa (above the tropopause).

The data drawn isn't from the real world its from a climate model, but a good one (hadcm3).

Top pic: Omega (vertical velocity). To confuse you, its dP/dt so positive omega means descent and negative omega means ascent. Main feature: strong ascent just north of the equator (the sun is of course N of the equator since this is northern hemi summer) and broader decent in the southern hemi. Note that the strong descent near the SP is a katabatic feature. Note that these 2 flows completely dominate the circulation.

Mid pic: NS component of horizontal wind. Flow S-to-N is positive. Main features: surface flow S-to-N and upper level flow N-to-S to fit in with the vertical velocities in the top pic.

Bottom pic: EW component of horiz wind. Flow W-to-E is positive. Main feature: the jets, strongest in the winter hemisphere.

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