Pressure And Wind Patterns

Question 1

Areas of high pressure include

Answer 1

Areas north and south of the equator what ch are cooler

Air at the poles is also colder and denser

Question 2

Air blows from

Answer 2

High to low pressure, creating winds.
Blows outwards from the high subtropical areas towards the equator and towards the relatively lower pressure areas between the subtropics and poles

Question 3

Reasons for pressure and wind patterns are

Answer 3

Suns position changing throughout the seasons due to the earth revolving around it. Affecting the position of the pressure belts.
During summer the sun is overhead at the Tropic of Cancer. The high pressure belt moves further North and so do the other pressure belts.
When it moves overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn the pressure belts move southwards. These movements affect the world patterns of temperature and winds.

Question 4

Other factors affecting the pressure and wind patterns are

Answer 4

The rotation of the earth as it tends to deflect air from the poles towards the equator.
Land and sea masses affect pressure and wind patterns. The rate of heating and cooling varies greatly over land and sea areas.
This creates distortions in the pattern of pressure belts, with a corresponding affect on winds.

Question 5

The flow of wind throughout the earth is affected by landscape features such as

Answer 5

Mountains which deflect winds from their path
Large belts of fast moving winds transversing the globe at high altitudes of between 10000 and 12000 metres. The pattern is wave like due to the influence of temperature and pressure differences between land and sea areas. The wave patterns have been termed rossby waves
There are streams of very fast moving air known as jet streams within these waves. These occur due to differences in temperature between polar, subtropical and Equatorial air masses.

Question 6

The pressure belt pattern changes throughout the year because

Answer 6

As air is heated it expands and rises, leaving the surface pressure low - less air to create pressure
As air rises it becomes cooler, denser and falls
In areas where the air is cooler it is denser - creating an area of high pressure