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11.8 NOTES What causes local winds? Objective: Describe patterns of local winds Winds are produced by temperature differences caused by the unequal heating of Earth’s surface. Local winds are small-scale winds produced by local changes in air pressure. A breeze coming from the sea toward land is called a sea breeze. A breeze going from the land to the sea is a land breeze. Land is heated faster than water; as a result, air over land is warmer and lighter than air over water. Cooler air over the ocean moves toward the land, pushing the warm air up. At night, the air over the land cools off faster than air over the ocean. The cooler air from the land moves toward the warmer air over the water, causing the air over the water to rise. Mountains also have local winds. During the day, the air over the mountain slope is warmer than the air in the valley. The cooler high pressure air in the valley moves up the mountain side toward the warmer air. This is called a valley breeze. At night, the cooler, heavier mountain air moves down the valley. This is a mountain breeze. Parts of some continents have winds that change direction with the seasons. These winds are called monsoons. Summer monsoons move from the ocean to the land. These winds bring moist air and heavy rains. Winter monsoons move from the land to the ocean. These winds bring dry air with little rain.