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Winds
Wind
 The horizontal movement of air from areas of
high air pressure to low air pressure
 Difference in air pressure is due to unequal
heating from the sun
H
Cold Air
High Pressure
More Dense
L
Warm Air
Low Pressure
Less Dense
 Molecules like to move from a crowded area
to a less crowded area
Isobars mark areas with the same air pressure
 Measuring Wind
 Wind Speed: Use an anemometer.
 Wind Direction: Use a wind vane or wind
sock.
L
 Naming Wind
 The name of the wind tells you where the
wind is coming from.
 Ex: North wind comes from North (to South)
N
H
L
W
E
S
Ex: West wind blows from the West to the East.
N
W
A. What is the name of Each wind
E
B. What Direction is the wind blowing?
S
A.
Northwest Wind
B.
Southeast wind
A.
West Wind
B.
East wind
A.
Northeast Wind
B.
Southwest wind
A.
South Wind
B.
North wind
 Local Winds
 Winds that blow over short distances
 Caused by unequal heating of Earth’s surface
within a small area.
 Ex: land breeze and sea breeze
Sea Breeze
 Land and the air around land warm up
faster than water
 Wind blows toward land from the
water
Land Breeze
 Land also cools faster than water
 At night, a wind blows toward the water
from the land
Global Winds
 Winds that blow over long distances due to
unequal heating of Earth’s surface (more heat
at equator)
Polar Easterlies
 Wind belts that extend
from the poles to 60°
latitude
 Formed from cold
sinking air moving from
the poles creating cold
temperatures
Westerlies
 Wind belts found
between 30° and 60°
latitude
 Flow towards the poles
from west to east
carrying moist air over
the Unites States
Trade Winds
 Winds that blow from
30° almost to the
equator
 Called the trade winds
because of their use by
early sailors
Doldrums
 Located along the
equator where no
winds blow because
the warm rising air
creates and area of low
pressure
Horse Latitudes
 Occur at about 30°
north and south of the
equator where the
winds are very weak
 Most deserts on the
Earth are located here
because of the dry air
Coriolis Effect
 A “curving of the winds” due to the rotation of
Earth
Jet Stream
 High speed winds located 10km above Earth’s
surface that travel in a wavy path