Planetary Surface Winds Flashcards
What is wind
The horizontal movement of air on the earths surface
What does wind result from
Differences in air pressure and they always blow from high to low pressure
Why can pressure differences occur spatially
Because of global and local variations in temperature
When air temperature of a place increases ..
The air in that area expands and rises, thus reducing air pressure
When the temperature of air falls..
The air becomes denser, it sinks and air pressure increases
What is the pressure gradient
The gradual change in air pressure over an area, seen in the pattern of isobars on a weather map
What is the temperature do wind influenced by
It’s area of origin and by the surface over which it has travelled
Winds blowing on to the land from the sea
Are relatively warm in winter and help to raise air temperatures
In the summer, winds ..
Depress air temperatures because the sea over which they have travelled is cooler than the land surface
