Zonal wind

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In meteorology, a zonal wind or a zonal circulation is a wind parallel to latitude, i.e. a west or east wind. The corresponding component of a wind direction is called its zonal component.

An example of a zonal wind is the so-called Walker circulation , which determines the winds along the equator in the Pacific. During an El Niño event, the Walker circulation is reversed. What is special about this zonal wind is that the Coriolis force does not play a role here.

Opposite: meridional wind

literature

  • Helmut Kraus, Ulrich Ebel: Risk weather: The emergence of storms and other atmospheric dangers , Springer, Berlin, 2003, page 65, ISBN 978-3-540-00184-3