Download What Is Wind? (page 47)

Name
Date
Weather Factors
■
Winds
Class
Adapted Reading and Study
(pages 46–52)
What Is Wind?
(page 47)
Key Concept: Winds are caused by differences in air
pressure.
• Wind is the sideways movement of air. The air always
moves from an area of high pressure to an area of low
pressure.
• Differences in air pressure are caused by differences in
how places are heated by the sun. Warm air has less
pressure than cooler air.
• The name of a wind tells you where the wind is coming
from. For example, a west wind blows from the west.
• Wind speed is measured with an anemometer (an uh
MAHM uh tur).
Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the
ideas above.
1. Read each word in the box. In each sentence below, fill
in the correct word or words.
wind
anemometer
air pressure
a. Wind speed is measured with a(an)
.
b. The sideways movement of air is called
.
2. Is the following sentence true or false? Air moves from
an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure.
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26
Name
Date
Weather Factors
■
Class
Adapted Reading and Study
Local Winds
(page 48)
Key Concept: Local winds are caused by the unequal
heating of Earth’s surface within a small area.
• Local winds are winds that blow over a short distance.
A cool breeze blowing in from the water over a beach is
an example of a local wind.
• Unequal heating often happens near lakes and ocean
coasts.
• A sea breeze is a local wind that blows from an ocean.
A lake breeze is a local wind that blows from a lake.
A sea breeze or lake breeze usually happens during
the day.
• A land breeze is a local wind that blows from the
land over a lake or ocean. A land breeze usually
happens at night.
Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the
ideas above.
3. Winds that blow over a short distance are called
.
4. The pictures show two types of local winds. Label the
pictures to tell which shows a land breeze and which
shows a sea breeze.
Warmer air rising
Warmer air rising
Cooler air moving to
take warmer air’s place
Cooler air moving to
take warmer air’s place
a.
b.
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27
Name
Date
Weather Factors
■
Class
Adapted Reading and Study
Global Winds
(page 49)
Key Concept: Like local winds, global winds are
created by the unequal heating of Earth’s surface.
But unlike local winds, global winds occur over a
large area.
• A global wind is a wind that blows steadily over long
distances. A global wind blows from the same direction
every time.
• The sun heats Earth unequally. For example, the sun
shines directly over the equator. The sun shines at an
angle over the poles.
• Earth rotates from east to west. Earth’s rotation makes
global winds curve. The way that winds curve is called
the Coriolis (kawr ee OH lis) effect.
• The Coriolis effect makes winds in the Northern
Hemisphere curve to the right. It makes winds in the
Southern Hemisphere curve to the left.
Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the
ideas above.
5. Read the words in the box. In each sentence below, fill
in the correct words.
global wind
local wind
Coriolis effect
a. The way that winds curve is called the
.
b. A wind that blows steadily over long distances
is called a
.
6. Is the following sentence true or false? The sun
heats Earth unequally.
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28
Name
Date
Weather Factors
■
Class
Adapted Reading and Study
Global Wind Belts
(pages 50–52)
Key Concept: The major global wind belts are the
trade winds, the polar easterlies, and the prevailing
westerlies.
• A series of wind belts circles Earth. Between the winds
belts are calm areas.
• The trade winds are global winds that blow in the
Northern Hemisphere toward the equator from 30° north
latitude. Latitude is the distance from the equator.
• Winds blow from the west to the east between 30° and
60° latitude in both the Northern and the Southern
hemispheres. Since these winds always blow from the
west, they are called the prevailing westerlies.
• The polar easterlies blow from the poles and curve
eastward.
• High-speed winds called jet streams blow at the top of
the troposphere.
Answer the following question. Use your textbook and the
ideas above.
7. Draw a line from each global wind belt to its correct
description.
Global Wind Belt
Description
trade winds
a. winds that blow from the
west to the east between
30° and 60° latitude
prevailing
westerlies
polar easterlies
b. winds that blow in the
Northern Hemisphere
toward the equator from
30° north latitude
c. winds that blow from the
poles and curve eastward
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29