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Winds and Local Winds
Shannon Adlabi, Alex Johnson,
Christian Argyros, Elizabeth Carroll
What is Wind?
 Wind is the horizontal movement of air from
an area of high pressure to an area of low
pressure.
 Unequal heating of Earth’s atmosphere
causes differences in air pressure. Where
there is less air pressure, the air is less
dense. Denser, cooler air goes under the
warm air and pushes it upward, causing
wind.
How do you measure wind?
 Wind is measured with an instrument called
an anemometer. It has several cups
attached to spokes that rotate on an axle.
The wind pushes the spokes, and a meter
on the axle reads the speed of the wind.
 Wind can be measured in knots, miles per
hour, and kilometers per hour.
 1 mile equals about 1.6 kilometers
 1 knot equals about 1.15 mph
What is the wind chill factor?
 The wind chill factor is increased cooling
caused by wind.
 A blowing wind may make the temperature
feel lower than it really is.
 The stronger the wind, the colder it can
make you feel.
What is a Local Wind?
 A local wind is a wind that blows over a
short distance. It is caused by unequal
heating in a small area.
What are Land and Sea Breezes?
 During the day, cool air from the ocean goes
under warm air on land and creates a sea
breeze.
 At night, cool air from land goes under warm
air from the ocean and creates a land
breeze.
Why is wind important?
 Wind affects transportation, (like sailing)
seed dispersal, erosion, and can be used as
a power source.
Facts About Wind
 The direction of wind can be determined by
a wind vane.
 Winds are named according to the direction
they come from. For instance, a wind
blowing from south to north would be called
a south wind.
 The fastest wind speed ever recorded was
231 mph in 1934, on Mount Washington,
New Hampshire.