Global atmospheric circulation is the movement of air around the planet, which explains how thermal energy and storm systems move over the Earths surface. It is responsible for transferring heat from the Earths equator to the poles. The global circulation can be described as the worldwide system of winds by which the necessary transport of heat from tropical to polar latitudes is accomplished. The global circulation pattern is a heat engine driven by the Suns energy and whose energy sink, ultimately, is the blackness of space.

The global circulation is made up of three cells in each hemisphere: the Hadley cell, Ferrel cell, and Polar cell. The Hadley cell is a closed circulation loop that begins at the equator, where moist air is warmed by the Earths surface, decreases in density, and rises. A similar air mass rising on the other side of the equator forces those rising air masses to move poleward. The rising air creates a low-pressure zone near the equator. The Ferrel cell is located between the Hadley and Polar cells and is driven by the interaction between the Hadley and Polar cells. The Polar cell is located near the poles and is driven by the temperature difference between the poles and the mid-latitudes.

The global circulation provides a natural air conditioning system to stop the equator from becoming hotter and hotter and the poles from becoming colder and colder. It creates winds across the planet as air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. It also leads to areas of high rainfall, like tropical rainforests, and areas of dry air, like deserts.

In summary, global atmospheric circulation is the movement of air around the planet that transfers heat from the Earths equator to the poles. It is made up of three cells in each hemisphere and creates winds across the planet as air moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.