Winds
By: Riley Lawson
General info on wind
Definition: Wind is the movement of air from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
What causes winds: Changes in air pressure causes wind.
Local Winds
Definition
A wind that blow over a short area.
How are they created
Unequal heating of the Earths surface over a small area.
Sea breeze
This is a wind that from an ocean towards land. The land heats up and then the warm air rises far enough to get cold and then it goes across and comes down because it is more dense and then goes across again and rises and that happens over and over again is how a sea breeze moves.This happens in the day.
Land breezes
A land breeze is a breeze that goes from the land to sea.A land breeze is the total opposite of a sea breeze.The water is warmer then the land at night and the air over the water goes up then goes across and down because of its density then goes across and happens over and over again.
Global Winds
Definition
Winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances.
How are they created
Unequal heating of the Earths over large distances.
Convection currents
Uneven heating of the Earth at the Equator and the Poles creates giant convection currents. At the Equator, warm air rises and colder air sinks at the Poles.Colder air air has a higher air pressure and warmer air has a lower air pressure. Therefore higher air pressure is at the Poles and lower air pressure at the Equator. This difference in air pressure causes winds to blow from the area of higher pressure at the poles to lower pressure at the equator.The warm air at the Equator is pushed back toward the Poles where it is cooled and sinks.This cold polar air has greater air pressure creating winds that move the air back towards the Equator.
Horse Latitudes
These winds are located 30 degrees North or South.The wind here is very weak and it is a very calm place.They call it the Horse Latitudes because a ship was caught in the very calm and couldn't move so they had to through the horses overboard.
Trade Winds
These winds are between 0 degrees and 30 degrees North or South.These winds are very strong and not calm.This wind is named because sailors used it as a trade route.
Prevailing Westerlies
The winds are between 30 degrees and 60 degrees North or South. They were named this because it blows from the West around the world.
Jet Stream
It is located on the top of the Troposphere.This is a very strong wind.Many airplanes use this to get places quicker using less fuel.It goes from West to East.