Download Winds (pages 552*558) What Is Wind? (page 553) Key Concept

16-3 Winds (pages 552–558)
1. State how scientists describe and
explain winds.
2. Distinguish between local winds and
global winds.
3. Identify where the major global wind
belts are located.
What Is Wind? (page 553)
1. State how scientists describe
and explain winds.
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.
Weather Factors
Adapted Reading and Study
■
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)
anemometer
.
b. The sideways movement of air is called
wind
.
Is the following sentence true or false? Air moves from
an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure.
Local Winds
(page 554)
Local Winds (page 554)
2. Distinguish between local winds
and global winds.
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.
Winds that blow over a short distance are called
Local winds
.
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.
Sea breeze
Global Winds
(page 555)
b.
Land breeze
Global Winds (page 555)
2. Distinguish between local winds
and global winds.
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 effect.
Weather Factors
■
Adapted Reading and Study
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
Coriolis effect
.
b. A wind that blows steadily over long distances
is called a Global wind
.
Is the following sentence true or false? The sun
heats Earth unequally. true
Global Wind
Belts (pages 556–
558)
Global Wind Belts (pages 556–558)
3. Identify where the major global
wind belts are located.
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.
Name
Date
Weather Factors
■
Class
Adapted Reading and Study
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