Circulation Systems Over China
Introduction: The Earth's atmosphere is in continuous motion: movement which is attempting to balance the constant differences in pressure and temperature between different parts of the globe. It is this motion which carries water from the ocean to the continents to provide precipitation and moves heat energy from the tropical regions toward the poles, warming the high latitudes. It is this circulation which plays a basic part in maintaining a steady state in the atmosphere and generating the climatic zones which characterise different parts of the earth. China, from its latitudinal location, mostly belongs to the mid- latitudes, with a small part to the low latitudes. It is located at south of
Siberia and the north of the tropical Pacific. At this distinctive location, the country is affected by the alternate seasonal expansion and contraction of the polar continental highs and tropical maritime air masses, along with the seasonal shifts of the overhead sun. These changes in the pressure systems over
Asia generate the unique Asian monsoon circulation which prevails over China throughout the year.
Surface Pressure Field and Winds: For any fluid to initiate movements, pressure gradient must exists. Therefore, for a close understanding of the circulation system that operates over China, we should start from discussing the seasonal pressure distribution at sea-level over the Asia-Pacific region, which is the driving force for the air movements in China. Most clearly to be seen, the largest difference in the atmospheric pressure occurs between winter and summer, whereby January and July can be considered as representative months. In January, a typical cold anticyclone with central pressure above 1,040 hectopascals (hPa) developed over mid-Siberia and Mongolia (Mongolian High); while a strongly established cyclone over the north-western Pacific Ocean (Aleutian Low). Since both pressure systems practically lie in the same latitude of 50° to 55°N, a steep pressure gradient occurs which produces strong and persistent north- westerlies over Northeast China. A third pressure system which affects China, although limited only to south-eastern China, is the equatorial Low over
Australia and New Guinea. The vast territory of East China lies in the middle of the path along which the Mongolian cold air tries to rush southward into the
Equatorial Low. Northerly and north-easterly flows prevail over the eastern half of China. As a typical feature, the Mongolian High is only a rather shallow pressure system. It disappears at the 500-hPa level. West China which has a higher elevation, therefore feels little of its influence; Yunnan highlands are even predominated by south-westerlies during most of the winter. The pressure pattern at sea-level during summer differs completely from winter conditions.
small part of Illinois and the Canadian providence of Ontario toward the north. In terms of chronological dates, this
Before the Communist Revolution, China had a dynastic system for their form of government. A dynastic system consisted of China being ruled by emperors and it started around 221 BC. The first known dynasty in China is the Shang Dynasty. The social classes included the upper class of nobles, the working class, and slaves. In the Shang Dynasty, China was well- known for their well- organized armies and the chariots they used. Their system of writing consisted of pictures called ideograms, pictograms and phonograms. The dynastic system left China in 1911 when the Qing Dynasty ended. A republican form of government was introduced where warlords governed the country. This type of government was weak for China and Sun Yat-sen, the leader of the Nationalist Party, searched for help from other countries to try to bring down the warlords. Unfortunately, western countries did not give their help, and China went to the Soviet Union for help instead. The Soviet Union agreed to help them out but they pushed for China to become communist. This decision eventually led to the civil war that occurred in China.
Strait and Ungava Bay; on the east by Labrador (Which is a part of Newfoundland),
During the early B.C area china seemed to have many barriers. These rough barriers did not keep the Chinese from contact with the outside world. China was known for terrible deserts and very high mountain ranges that extended from the west to the southwest area. The southeast part of china had thick rainforests. This rainforest divided china from the southeast part of Asia. The east part of China had the glorious Pacific Ocean. In the north part of china was a forbidden desert known as the Gobi.
China was a civilization that was surrounded by wildlife and unique geographical features. Located in South Asia, the Himalayas and Tian Shan mountain ranges blocked the way to the west and southwest. Thick rainforests covered the southeast, while the Gobi Desert obstructed the way to the north. To the east of China there was the Pacific Ocean. All of these features prevented trade from other civilizations, but also provided protection.
The south pole is the southernmost point on earth and is located on Antarctica. Because Antarctica is centered on the South Pole it receives very little sunlight, and is the coldest climate on Earth. Most of the life in Antarctica is marine life, such as krill, seals, whales, and penguins. The land is so barren and unforgiving that almost nothing can indefinitely live there. Most of the humans that come to the South Pole are scientists studying the area or tourists. Unlike the North Pole which is basically a frozen ocean, Antarctica is classified as a desert and has giant ice mountains. All of the animals that inhabit Antarctica depend on the ocean, and each other for food and shelter.
In land area, Australia is the sixth largest nation after Russia, Canada, China, the United States of America and Brazil. It is one of the world’s most urbanized countries, with about 70 per cent of the population living in the 10 largest cities. Most of the population is concentrated along the eastern seaboard and the southeastern corner of the continent.
1. Dateline-world region: The choices available were: North America (United States and Canada), Central America and the Caribbean, Latin America, Western Europe (including Turkey and Greece), Eastern Europe, Russia and former Soviet republics, China, the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa (including South Africa), developing Asia (mostly South and some Southeast Asia), developed Asia (mostly East and Southeast Asia), Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, and other Pacific Islands), global, the United Nations and other similar global organizations, and other/none.
From the 1970s, there has been a wave of liberalization in China, which was introduced by Deng Xiaoping. This is one of the key reasons to the rise of China to be one of the economic giants in the world. In the last 25 years of the century, the Chinese economy has had massive economic growth, which has been 9.5 percent on a yearly basis. This has been of great significance of the country since it quadrupled the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country thus leading to saving of 400 million of their citizens from the threats of poverty. In the late 1970s, China was ranked twentieth in terms of trade volumes in the whole world as well as being predicted to be the world’s top nation concerning trading activities (Kaplan, 53). This further predicted the country to record the highest GDP growth in the whole world.
Hoobler, Dorothy, Thomas Hoobler, and Michael Kort, comps. China: Regional Studies Series. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Globe Fearon, 1993. 174-177.
the Caribbean, South and Central America, the islands of the Pacific, and the Middle East
west by the Atlantic Ocean. The Namib has an approximate area of 170,000 sq km
are located in these neighbouring countries as well. Due to being a former colony of
Papua New Guinea is located on the island of New Guinea in the south Pacific ocean. That island is the second largest island on earth after after Greenland. Papua New Guinea’s territory contains the entire eastern side of the island and shares it with West Papua which controls the western part of the island. New Guinea also controls hundreds of other islands around the island of New Guinea. Other then Australia to the South, Indonesia, and Singapore to the West, there are many smaller neighboring islands in the are surrounding area.