Winds
General Winds, Local Winds, Global Winds
General Winds
What is Wind?
Wind is the movement of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.What Causes Winds?
The horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure.
Local Winds
How are Local Winds Created?
Local winds are created by unequal heating.
Sea Breezes:
A wind that blows from an ocean (sea) or lake towards land. Sea breezes blow farther than land breezes. They are also caused by unequal heating of Earth's surface within a small area.
Land Breezes:
A wind that blows from land towards a body of water. Land breezes blow short distances. Unequal heating of Earth's surface within a small area.
Sea Breeze & Land Breeze diagrams
Sea & land breeze diagram together
Land breeze diagram
Sea breeze diagram
Local Winds happen only locally. Sea breezes happen on body's of water. Land breezes happen on land.
Global Winds
Global Winds are winds that travel over a large area .......like the globe!
How Are They Created?
Uneven heating of the Earth at the equator and the poles create giant convection currents. At the equator, warm air rises and cold air sinks at the poles.
Horse Latitudes
These winds are at the equator (0 degree latitude) and they turn to the left.
Trade Winds
These winds lie in between 0 degrees and 30 degrees latitude and are very strong. Sailors used these winds to help them move their cargo to other countries to trade goods!!
Jet Streams
The jet stream is a band of very strong winds in the upper troposphere. Airplanes use these to travel faster while saving fuel!
Polar Easterlies
These winds blow from the north and south pole.