Global Winds

Global Winds

Air Movement

• Wind is the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure

• The greater the difference, the faster the wind moves

Multiple Choice

Cold air has...

• High Pressure

• Low Pressure

Multiple Choice

Warm air has...

• Low Pressure

• High Pressure

Air Pressure

• Differences in air pressure are caused by the uneven heating of Earth

• Uneven heating produces pressure belts which occur every 30° latitude

Multiple Choice

Which cells in this image would have high pressure?

• Polar

• Hadley

Pressure Belts

• •As warm air rises at the equator and moves toward the poles, it cools

• •As it cools, some of the air sinks around 30° north and south of the equator

• •At the poles, cold air sinks and moves towards the equator

• •Around 60° north and south, the air begins to heat up and rise

Multiple Choice

This heat transfer is known as conduction.

• True

• False

Global Winds

• The combination of pressure belts and the Coriolis Effect causes global winds

• These are polar easterlies, westerlies, and trade winds

Polar Easterlies

• Wind belts that extend from the poles to 60° latitude

• Formed from cold sinking air moving from the poles creating cold temperatures

Prevailing Westerlies

• Wind belts found between 30° and 60° latitude

• Flow towards the poles from west to east carrying moist air over the United 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 an 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

• Named "Horse Latitudes" because early sailors transporting horses would throw dead or dying horses overboard to conserve water.

Jet Streams

• The jet streams are narrow belts of high speed winds that blow in the upper troposphere

• Separates warm air from cold air

Multiple Choice

What causes the Coriolis Effect?

• Rotation of the Earth

• Rotation of the Moon

• Earth tilt

• Rotation of the Sun

Multiple Choice

Which global winds move FROM the east to the west?

• Doldrums

• Cauldrons

• Westerlies

• Easterlies

Multiple Choice

The rain-forests at 60 degrees latitude are known as...

• temperate rain-forests

• tropical rain-forests

Multiple Choice

Most of Earth's largest deserts are located at...

• 0 degrees latitude

• 30 degrees latitude

• 60 degrees latitude

• 90 degrees latitude

Multiple Choice

Winds always blow from areas of _________ pressure to areas of _________ pressure.

• high, high

• low, low

• low, high

• high, low

Multiple Choice

The North and South poles are considered...

• Rainforests

• Deserts

• Doldrums

• Westerlies

Multiple Choice

Cool sinking air causes___________ pressure, resulting in ___________.

• high, rain

• low, rain

• high, clear skies

• low, clear skies

Multiple Choice

Warm rising air causes___________ pressure, resulting in ___________.

• high, rain

• low, rain

• high, clear skies

• low, clear skies

Multiple Choice

Winds that blow from the North and South pole toward 60⁰ latitude are called...

• trade winds

• westerlies

• polar easterlies

• horse latitudes

Multiple Choice

Cooler air sinks at 30⁰ latitude causing a windless area known as...

• doldrums

• horse latitudes

• polar easterlies

• westerlies

Multiple Choice

Winds that blow from 30⁰ latitude to 60⁰ latitude are called...

• polar easterlies

• westerlies

• trade winds

• doldrums

Multiple Choice

The rotation of the Earth causes winds to bend due to the...

• coriolis effect

• doldrums

• trade winds

• westerlies

Multiple Choice

Winds occur because hot air rises and cool air sinks in a process called...

• conduction

• convection

• radiation

• magnetism

Multiple Choice

I am a fast-moving ribbon of AIR that moves from west to east in the Northern Hemisphere around the Earth.

• California Current
• Gulf Stream
• Jet Stream
• Atlantic Ocean

Multiple Choice

Which global winds have the greatest impact on the weather in the US?

• trade winds

• prevailing westerlies

• doldrums

• polar easterlies

Multiple Choice

Where does the initial source of energy come from that creates winds?

• the moon

• the sun

• the rotation of the Earth

Multiple Choice

Rising air creates what type of air pressure?

• high

• low