Wonderful World of Wind
Learn more about winds / By: Alex Yeung
Definition of Wind and What Causes Them
Wind is moving air. Winds are are caused by the uneven heating of the surface of the earth, which causes pressure difference.
Definition of Wind and How They are Caused
Winds is moving air. Winds are are cause by the uneven heating of the surface of the earth, which causes pressure difference.
Local Winds
Local winds are winds that blow short distances anywhere. They are caused by geological features that produce different air temperatures like mountains and body of waters.
Sea Breezes
Sea breezes are caused by high pressure over the ocean during the day and low pressure on the land because of the uneven heating. Air moves from the land creating a sea breeze.
Land Breezes
Land breezes are caused by low pressures over the ocean during the night and high pressure over land caused by the uneven heating which causes wind to move from the land to the ocean which causes land breezes.
Global Winds
Global winds are winds that occur over long distances all around the earth. They are the combination of the pressure belts and the Coriolis Effect. They are created when the earth spins and when the cold air sinks and starts moving towards the equator and then at 60 degrees north and south, the air begins to heat up and rise.
Doldrums
Doldrums is where there is no winds at all because the warm air rises which creates low pressure.
Polar Easterlies , Prevailing Westerlies, and Trade Winds
These 3 are the global winds. Polar easterlies are wind belts that extend from the poles to 60 degrees latitude. They are caused when cold air sinks creating cold temperatures. Prevailing Westerlies are wind belts found between 30 degrees and 60 degrees latitude. It flows toward the poles from west to east carrying moist air over the United States. Trade winds are winds that blow form 30 degrees to almost to the equator. They are called trade winds because they were used to trade for early sailors.
Polar Easterlies
Picture of Polar Eastelies
Prevailing Westerlies
Picture of Prevailing Westerlies
Trade Winds
Picture of Trade Winds