Global Winds and Currents

What causes winds to form?

• areas of low pressure moving to areas of high pressure

• air moving vertically in the atmosphere

• gravity

• uneven heating of Earth's surfaces

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Winds would generally just move north and south, but they tend to "curve" away from their intended path because of

• gravity.

• convection.

• Earth's rotation.

• temperature differences on Earth.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

The term "prevailing wind" describes

• what the wind is doing outside right now.

• the usual or average direction that winds come from.

• the usual or average direction that winds blow to.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

"Wind belts" are areas of wind that have the same prevailing direction. These belts happen every __ degrees of latitude.

• 10

• 20

• 30

• 60

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Drag and Drop

Label each location in the area where they are affect by the correct ​global winds

a

b

c

d

Nome, Alaska (65 N)

Ashburn, Virginia (37 N)

Mexico City, Mexico (20 N)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (22 S)

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Match the Global Winds to their correct letter:

• Polar Easterlies

• Label B

• Tropical Easterlies

• Label A

• Westerlies

• Label C

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Label each location in the area where they are affect by the correct ​global winds

a

b

c

d

Ashburn, Virginia (37 N)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (22 S)

Mexico City, Mexico (20 N)

Nome, Alaska (65 N)

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Between the North Pole and 60 degrees latitude, she is buzzing along in clod, dry, dense horizontal air currents called​ _​ (a)  

• Jet Stream

• Prevailing westerlies

• Polar easterlies

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

She is caught in a wind that blows towards the equator from about 30 degrees N and 30 degrees S of the equator. She is in the​ (a)  

• Trade winds

• Doldrum

• Sea Breeze

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Warm air moving towards the poles between 30 degrees and 60 degrees latitude in both hemisphere is pushing her along at a good speed. She is a ​ (a)  

• Jet Stream

• Prevailing westerlies

• Polar Easterlies

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6