TITLE:
Relationships between Earth’s Rotation or Revolution and Geographical Extent of the Global Surface Monsoons
AUTHORS:
Mbane Biouele César
KEYWORDS:
Seasonal Reversal of the Prevailing Surface Winds; Coriolis Force; Earth’s Rotation; ITCZ (Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone) Oscillations; Earth’s Revolution
JOURNAL NAME:
Atmospheric and Climate Sciences,
Vol.4 No.1,
December
20,
2013
ABSTRACT: Monsoon seasons,
occasionally also known as wet seasons or trade-wind littoral seasons, are
found in the regions where
there is a complete seasonal reversal of the prevailing surface winds.
Accompanying these shifts in the prevailing surface winds are modulations in
rainfall activity. Given the fact that our knowledge of the monsoons is mainly based on the interpretation of the
mean values of precipitation, cloudiness and winds; relationships between
earth’s rotation or revolution and geographical extent of the global surface
monsoons deserve to be highlighted. In the abundant literary and audiovisual
production devoted to monsoons worldwide and despite the fact that everyone
agrees with physical law which shows that Coriolis force acts to the right in
the northern hemisphere (to the left in the southern hemisphere), there is no
reference to the relationship between Coriolis force (due to earth’s rotation)
effects on troposphere general circulation and geographical extent of the
global surface monsoons. Furthermore knowing that the ITCZ oscillations on
either side of the equators (due to
earth’s revolution) determine the seasons (mainly winter and summer), it is
clear that earth’s revolution also plays a crucial role in the seasonal reversal of the prevailing surface
winds observed in the regions where monsoons are found. Our main objective is
to provide a rational answer to the question: what is a monsoon?