Wind
By: Brandon Baglan
What is Wind?
Wind is when air moves parallel to the ground. We can't see wind but we can feel it. Wind is caused when air moves from an area with high pressure to an area with low pressure. The differences of air pressure depend on the heat the sun gives to an area. The warmer the air the less pressure. Wind speed can be measured using and anemometer and wind direction can be determined with a wind vane. There are two types of winds called local winds and global winds.
Local Winds
Local winds are winds that travel a small distance. An example can be a breeze blowing from water over to a beach. Local winds are caused by the unequal pressure and heat on the Earth's surface. There are two types of local winds called land breeze and sea breeze. A land breeze is when air from a part of land blows into a body of water. A sea breeze is when air blows from a body of water to land.
Global Winds
Global winds are air that steadily moves over large distances. They are caused by the unequal heat from the sun. A type of global wind that occurs at Earth's equator are doldrums. These are very weak. Another type of global wind are trade winds. These occur between 0 and 30 degrees latitude and are very strong. Sailors use this to move cargoes to transport goods. Also another global wind are jet streams. They are winds in the upper troposphere used by airplanes to help them travel because of the strong winds they give. Polar easterlies is another example of a global wind, they blow from the north and south pole.