global circulation
Earth's atmospheric movement
Global circulation refers to the large-scale movement of air, water, or other substances around the Earth.
In meteorology, it describes the planet-wide patterns of atmospheric flow—trade winds, westerlies, and polar easterlies—that distribute heat from the equator toward the poles.
In oceanography, it refers to currents that cycle water between surface and deep layers across ocean basins.
The term also applies to the worldwide spread of money, goods, or ideas: Global circulation of the dollar supports international trade.
- Gulf StreamWarm Atlantic ocean current
- jet streamHigh-altitude wind current
- prevailing windsMost frequent directional airflow
- solar radiationEnergy emitted by sun
- convectionHeat transfer via motion
polar vortex · polar regions · trade winds · Coriolis force · El Niño · upwelling · climate zones · feedback loops · climate patterns · deep ocean currents · greenhouse effect · cyclones · gyres · wind shear · air masses · westerlies · ocean acidification · carbon cycle
global, globally, globalize, globalization, globe, globes, globular, circulation, circulate