Daily Archives: April 22, 2008

Mansoon

The “Monsoon”, from the Arabic “mauism” meaning “season”, defines a wind that changes direction with the seasons. Monsoons develop as a result of changing patterns of atmospheric pressure caused by the varied heating and cooling rates of continental landmasses and … Continue reading

Posted in Environment | 2 Comments

Mercator’s Projection

The Mercator projection was invented by Gerardus Mercator, a Flemish mapmaker. His name is a latinized version of Gerhard Kramer. This is his famous world map of 1569. A modern Mercator projection map The property of the Mercator projection map … Continue reading

Posted in Geographers, Geography Practicals/Lab and Statistical Techniques, map making, oceans | 3 Comments

Prevailing Winds

The direction of wind is measured in terms of where the air is coming from. A northerly wind blows air from north to south. A southwesterly wind blows air from the southwest to the northeast. The prevailing wind is the … Continue reading

Posted in Environment | 1 Comment

Air Masses

An air mass is a large body of air that has similar temperature and moisture properties throughout. The best source regions for air masses are large flat areas where air can be stagnant long enough to take on the characteristics … Continue reading

Posted in Environment | 2 Comments