Atmospheric general circulation (macroscopic characteristics)

Lower atmosphere (troposphere and lower stratosphere)
Convection (broader sense) between tropics and polar regions
Middle atmosphere (upper stratosphere and mesosphere)
Convection (broader sense) between summer and winter hemispheres
Though both are in principle meridional (north-south) & vertical circulation,
Stratified fluid in gravity field => small mean vertical velocity
Rotation of the earth => small mean meridional (cf. zonal) verocity
Lower atmosphere, tropics (latitude < ca. 30 deg. )... Hadley circulation
Upward near equator (in average), downward around 25 deg. lat.
Approximation by time-average fields is valid for energy transport.
Cumulus convection is active in upward branch; supressed in downward branch
(Tropical cyclones, though remarkable, are not essential.)
Lower atmosphere, temperate zone (latitude > ca. 30 deg.)
waves in the westerly = extratropical cyclones
Moving (not stationary)
(Clouds and precipitation accompany, but are not essential.)
North-south energy exchange is almost (but not exactly) horizontal.
(Energy transport by time-average field is in the opposite direction.)