Answer
1. **Match each statement with its cell:**
- 1.1 Hadley cell
- 1.2 Polar cell
- 1.3 Ferrel cell
- 1.4 Hadley cell
- 1.5 Polar cell
2. **Why is the Hadley cell referred to as a heat-generated cell?**
The Hadley cell is driven by intense solar heating at the equator, causing warm air to rise and creating its circulation.
3. **Which cell has the greatest influence on South Africa's climate?**
The Ferrel cell has the greatest influence because it governs the mid-latitude westerlies and frontal systems that directly affect South Africa's weather patterns.
Solution
Below are the answers with explanations:
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1. Match each statement with its cell:
• 1.1 “Convergence of surface air causes uplift along the equator.”
Answer: Hadley cell
Explanation: The Hadley cell is driven by intense solar heating at the equator. The warm air there rises, causing convergence at the surface.
• 1.2 “Occurs between 60°–90° of the equator.”
Answer: Polar cell
Explanation: The polar cell occupies the high‐latitude zone, roughly from 60° to the pole (90°).
• 1.3 “Air in the upper atmosphere is heated as it moves towards the equator.”
Answer: Ferrel cell
Explanation: In the Ferrel cell (which spans the mid‐latitudes, roughly 30°–60°), the upper-level flow moves equatorward. As this air moves into regions of greater subsidence (and compression), it warms adiabatically.
• 1.4 “This is a heat-generated cell of circulation.”
Answer: Hadley cell
Explanation: The Hadley cell is powered primarily by solar (heat) input at the equator.
• 1.5 “Develops on the northern side of the polar front.”
Answer: Polar cell
Explanation: The polar cell is linked to the polar front; in the Northern Hemisphere, it develops on the poleward side of that front.
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2. Why is the Hadley cell referred to as a heat-generated cell?
The Hadley cell is called a “heat-generated cell” because its circulation is directly driven by solar heating at the equator. Intense solar radiation warms the surface and the overlying air at low latitudes. This warm, less dense air rises, leading to a zone of low pressure near the equator. As the rising air moves poleward at high altitudes and then cools and descends in the subtropics, a complete circulation loop is set up. The entire process is initiated and maintained by the differential heating resulting from uneven solar energy distribution on Earth.
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3. Which one of these cells has the greatest influence on South Africa's climate? Give a reason.
Answer: The Ferrel cell
Reason: South Africa lies roughly between 30°S and 35°S, which is within the mid-latitudes where the Ferrel cell dominates. The Ferrel cell is responsible for the prevailing westerly winds and associated mid-latitude frontal systems in this region. These weather systems play a key role in determining South Africa’s variable rainfall and temperature patterns. (Note that while the descending branch of the Hadley cell—often associated with the subtropical high pressure—also affects parts of South Africa, it is the mid-latitude weather disturbances generated by the Ferrel cell that exert the most direct influence on day-to-day weather and seasonal climate variability.)
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Summary Answers:
1.1 Hadley 1.2 Polar 1.3 Ferrel 1.4 Hadley 1.5 Polar
2. The Hadley cell is “heat-generated” because it is fundamentally driven by intense solar heating at the equator, which causes warm air to rise and sets up the circulation.
3. The Ferrel cell influences South Africa’s climate the most, as it governs the mid-latitude westerlies and frontal systems that directly impact the country’s weather patterns.
Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor
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