Ocean currents

[arakish]

Please note that all of the attached images are "general idealized" maps since I have no idea of the landforms of Nuelan. To be more specific with these maps, I would need to know where the mountain ranges are, and their topographic and geopspatial ranges. For good examples of how mountain ranges can affect these "general idealized" maps, look to the Himalayan and Andean ranges here on Earth.

Also, the world's axial tilt will play a large role on how the climate and atmospheric flow zones will shift north and south as the world revolves around the primary (sun) and the seasons change. The maps I created below are based on an axial tilt like Earth (23° 26' 16" or 23.438°) and a revolution period like Earth.

I also added 60° latitude lines (red) on all the maps (explained below).

As before, the white arrows show the direction of rotation.

General Idealized Atmospheric Flow

Attached Files
nuelanAtmFlowCCW.png
nuelanAtmFlowCW.png

These images have the red lines showing the 60° latitudes. I added these because the "general idealized" atmospheric flow will be in regions 0° to 30°, 30° to 60°, and 60° to 90° (the poles) in both north and south latitudinal regions. As mentioned before, I had the 70° latitudes to show where the primary polar climates will be.

This is a nice tutorial made by jbgibson of how the General Atmospheric Flow can develop on a world.

General Idealized Climate Zones

Attached File
nuelanClimZone.png

Again, remember that this is a "general idealized" map. It should give you a good idea on how the climates will be around Nuelan. If not, then ask and I or others here will be glad to answer.

Region of Interest

And to answer your question. The region of interest (ROI) in question will actually have varied biomes. Along the equator, the equatorial region of the ROI will be tropical rainforest/tropical deciduous forest. As you go northward and southward towards the subtropical highs, the biomes will phase through tropical deciduous forest to troical scrub to tropical savannah to semi-arid and arid desert.

Attached File
nuelonROIClimZone.png

This map shows the general idealized climate zones and the ROI. Hope this is the ultimate helper.

And as always, if I made any serious errors, the kind folk here will correct me, please.

rmfr

P.S. - just saw your post post jb... now there are two links to your tut ;-)

[arakish]

And in regards to climate stability.. I suppose I could, how long would those cycles last though?

That is dependent upon a lot of factors. The Earth's axial tilt wobbles between 21 and 25 (approximation) degrees. Many scientists believe these wobbles (Milankovitch Cycles) are what help to create the Earth's periods of glaciation and warming. Basically, these wobbles are caused by the system's primary and all other planet's in the stellar system playing constant tug-of-wars on the Earth.

Of course, if you believe in the Nemesis Hypothesis (a coalstar with tremendous gravity well is in an elliptical orbit around our sun that cycles every 65,000,000 years (or so)), then Nuelan's Nemesis could be passing close and thus throws Nuelan's axis off. Of course, there is the perterbations of any comet and asteroid orbits that can cause a shooting gallery...

...so maybe an added aspect of sudden desertification or whatnot could add an interesting spin.

Also, there is the magnetic field polarity reversal that can cause all kinds of havoc. It has even been proven here on Earth. In the studies done on the mid-oceanic ridge in the Atlantic, they have found that as the ridge feeds new ocean floor, that it has created stripes of magnetic reversal. I'll look for some links about this and post them.

rmfr

[arakish]

Didn't take me as long as I thought. Unless you want more reputable links...

Milankovitch Cycles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles

Magnetic Polarity Reversal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_polarity_reversal

Plate Tectonics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics

Mid-Oceanic Ridges
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midocean_ridge
This one has an animation of magnetic striping towards the bottom of the page.

Gads, ya gotta love wikipedia. However, also note that you have to judge the validity and accuracy of the information for yourself.

Hope these can be of some help. I have textbooks from my geography courses, but refuse to scan them due to copyright issues.

General Question: If I cut/paste a URL in a reply, do these forums automatically convert them into a link? Other forum boards I visit do this. Just don't know about these.

rmfr

[Majortopio]

Wow! Thanks for the more the in-depth help and images, I will use these to their fullest!

[KeithM]

Also, which direction does the world rotate? Is it counterclockwise like the Earth (sun rises in the east, sets in the west)? Or is it clockwise? Rotational direction will play a huge part on where the warm and cold currents will be.

rmfr

The earth is rotating counterclockwise only if you define North" as being "up". If "south" had traditionally been the "up" direction on maps (and there's no reason why it can't be), then the rotation is clockwise and absolutely nothing changes in the ocean currents or weather patterns. The poles are interchangeable: the real absolute directions on a rotating planet are in the direction of spin (sunrise) and the opposite direction (sunset).

[arakish]

The earth is rotating counterclockwise only if you define North" as being "up". If "south" had traditionally been the "up" direction on maps (and there's no reason why it can't be), then the rotation is clockwise and absolutely nothing changes in the ocean currents or weather patterns. The poles are interchangeable: the real absolute directions on a rotating planet are in the direction of spin (sunrise) and the opposite direction (sunset).

Yep. I was referring to rotational direction as determined by traditional astronomy. North pole is always up, and you are looking down upon the north pole. Of course, there is the magnetic polarity reversal where north becomes down and south up. Then rotational directions will also reverse when referred to from looking down upon the north pole. Thus, it is just a matter of perspective.

Thanks for the change in perspective.

rmfr