Pressure Belts of the World

High temperature can result in the density of air pressure as temperature can manipulate whether air is light or dense. The pressure belts of the world are capable of generating planetary winds as well, which transfers heat. The fact that pressure belts of the world can influence the climate is linked with temperature. 

Relationship between pressure belts and temperature  

Pressure changes from one place to another and a high altitude on earth implies that pressure will decrease. As a result, pressure belts of the world are created along with planetary winds. The relationship between the air pressure and temperature is generally inverse; as a result, the higher temperature can result in lower air pressure and vice versa. The difference in temperature in comparison to two places causes a severe difference in the air pressure.  Temperature attempts to equalise the air pressure, hence high temperature will result in a low atmospheric pressure. The relationship is distinctive to each other because the density of the air has to remain constant.

High temperature will warm the air of a region; the warm air will rise upwards causing a low atmospheric pressure. Similarly, cool temperature will drop downwards which will evidently lead up to high atmospheric pressure. This is the way temperature can manipulate the pressure belts of the world. The impact of the temperature will in return be reflected in the generation of planetary winds. Wind is responsible for transferring temperature from a palace of high altitude to a place of low altitude. Thus, the generation of the pressure belts can be traced to the differences of temperature between two places.

Pressure belts in the world

The weight of a column of air present in a unit area, from the mean sea to the top of the atmosphere is called atmospheric pressure. More clearly, the pressure belts are actually the pressure exerted by air on the surface of the earth. The pressure of air is the highest at the sea but decreases with the increase of height. The pressure belts of the world are divided into seven based on the distribution pattern of surface pressure on earth that is mentioned below.

• Equatorial low pressure belt
• Subtropical high pressure belt (Northern hemisphere)
• Subtropical high pressure belt (Southern hemisphere)
• Sub polar low pressure belt (Northern hemisphere)
• Sub polar low pressure belt (Southern hemisphere)
• Polar high pressure belt (Northern hemisphere)
• Polar high pressure belt (Southern hemisphere)

Out of the seven pressure belts of the world, six of them form a matching pair in the two hemispheres while the Equatorial low pressure is exceptional. The pressure belts in the southern hemispheres are continuous; however, the pressure belts in the northern hemispheres are discontinuous. Based on their mode of generation, the pressure belts of the world are divided into two categories, which are thermally induced pressure belts and dynamically induced pressure belts.  The Equatorial low-pressure belt and the Polar high-pressure belts belong to the thermally induced pressure belt while the rest of them fall under dynamically induced pressure belts. 

Impact of the shifting of pressure belts on climate change 

The pressure belts of the world can influence the temperature and the climate intensely because the earth is inclined towards the sun at its axis by 23 ½ °.  It is because of this inclination towards the sun, a difference in terms of heat in the continents and oceans that are felt in January and July. January represents the beginning of winter and July stands for the onset of summer in the Northern hemisphere. The exact opposite weather condition from this is observed in the Southern hemisphere. As the sun travels overhead to the Tropic of Cancer, the pressure belts shift 5° northwards and similarly, when the sun is exactly on the top of Tropic of Capricorn, the pressure belts shift 5° southwards from the original position. As a result, the shifting of the pressure belts can be held responsible for the seasonal changes, which are more apparent in both of the hemispheres between 30° to 40° hemispheres. In fact, the characteristics of climate are formed due to the shifting of the pressure belts of the world. Low wind pressure can result in heavy precipitation and constant high humidity. Additionally, the shifting of the pressure belts causes a unique phenomenon of monsoon in some regions. The shifting of the pressure belts is also responsible for the unique grasslands in Savannah. On the other hand, dry summers and rainy winters of the Mediterranean climate is a direct impact of the shifting of the pressure belts. 

Conclusion

The pressure belts of the world are capable of influencing the change of season and supply them with differentiating features. There are seven types of pressure belts of the world, which control the climate to a considerable degree, but they are dependent on the rotation and inclination of the earth.