Download Unit C, Chapter 3, Lesson 2

Chapter Outline
Unit C, “Processes That Change the Earth”
Chapter 3, “Weather and Climate”
Lesson 2, “What Causes Wind?”, pgs. C72-C75
Uneven Heating
Much of the sun’s energy is _____absorbed__________ by the Earth’s surface.
_______Land________ heats up faster and cools off quicker than
____water___________.
Local Winds
The Earth’s surface is heated ______unevenly_________.
Which is heavier, cold or warm air?
Cold air
The upward movement of warm air in the atmosphere produces
_____updrafts__________.
Air moves from high pressure areas to areas of lower pressure. This horizontal
movement of air is called _______wind________.
Define Local Winds – winds that depend on local changes in temperature
Prevailing Winds
Define Prevailing Winds – global winds that blow constantly from the same direction
What causes prevailing winds?
Uneven heating of large parts of Earth’s atmosphere and Earth’s rotation
Winds that blow toward the poles curve ______east_________.
Winds that blow toward the equator curve _____west__________.
In most of the United States, prevailing winds curve to the east, producing west winds,
called…
Westerlies
Westerlies cause most weather systems in the U.S. to move how?
From west to east