Winds Formation Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is wind?

horizontal movement of air

What is an air current?

up-and-down movement of air

What do we call vertical movements of air instead of wind?

updrafts and downdrafts

How do winds form?

Cool, heavy air moves toward warm, light air; cool air moves in under warm air; cool air moves along the surface of Earth toward warmer air. Signup and view all the answers

What causes wind?

winds are caused by differences in air pressure Signup and view all the answers

Regions of cold, heavy air have ______ air pressure.

high Signup and view all the answers

Regions of warm, light air have ______ air pressure.

low Signup and view all the answers

Air moves from regions of _ pressure to regions of pressure.

high, low Signup and view all the answers

Will the speed of a wind be greater if the difference in air pressure is large or small?

large Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between highs and lows?

Highs are cold, heavy air masses. Lows contain warm, light air. Signup and view all the answers

Why does cold air push warm air upward?

cold air is denser and moves in under lighter, warmer air Signup and view all the answers

Where on Earth would you expect to find the warmest and least dense air?

the equator, because of the intensity of the sunlight there Signup and view all the answers

Where on Earth would you expect to find the coldest and densest air?

the poles, because there is less sunlight there Signup and view all the answers

Air molecules flow from to pressure creating wind.

high, low Signup and view all the answers

The greater the difference between high and low pressure the __________ the wind speed.

higher or stronger Signup and view all the answers

What direction does the wind blow at the beach during the day?

The wind blows from the ocean to the land. Signup and view all the answers

Which gets hotter, land or water during the day?

land is hotter than ocean Signup and view all the answers

The air above the 'hot' part of the diagram heats up as energy is transferred from the surface to the atmosphere through and .

convection, wind Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the density of air molecules when air gets heated?

density decreases Signup and view all the answers

During the day at the beach, wind blows from pressure to pressure which means there is usually a breeze blowing from the to the called a __ breeze.

high, low, water, land, sea Signup and view all the answers

An measures the wind speed in or you can estimate using the which is based on .

anemometer, mph, Beaufort scale, data Signup and view all the answers

What will happen at night? What is this called?

the wind direction will change and move from land to water. Sea breeze or night breeze Signup and view all the answers

On a weather map, how do you know where it is windiest?

The wind is faster if the isobars are closer together. Signup and view all the answers

The closer the isobars are on a weather map, the the pressure difference so the the wind speed.

higher, faster Signup and view all the answers

Wind direction is determined with a __________.

wind vane - shows direction the wind is coming from Signup and view all the answers

Why is knowing the wind direction important in predicting the weather?

Knowing the direction that the wind is blowing is helpful for predicting the weather, since wind that comes from the south tends to be warmer and wind that comes from the north tends to be colder. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Wind Formation and Characteristics

Wind refers to the horizontal movement of air across the Earth's surface.
Air currents, characterized by up-and-down movements of air, can be described as updrafts and downdrafts.
Winds form due to the movement of cool, heavy air toward warm, light air, with cool air pushing under warm air, causing it to rise.

Causes of Wind

Differences in air pressure are the primary cause of wind.
High-pressure areas are associated with cold, dense air, while low-pressure areas correspond to warm, lighter air.
Air travels from high-pressure regions to low-pressure regions, and the greater the pressure difference, the stronger the wind speed.

Temperature and Air Density

Cool air is denser than warm air and displaces the warmer air upward when they meet.
The equator experiences the warmest, least dense air due to intense sunlight, whereas the poles host the coldest, densest air because of less sunlight.

Daily Wind Patterns

During the day, coastal winds typically flow from the ocean to the land (sea breeze) due to temperature differences, with land heating more quickly than water.
At night, the wind direction reverses, moving from land to water, resulting in a night breeze.

Measuring Wind

An anemometer is used to measure wind speed in miles per hour (mph), while the Beaufort scale estimates wind strength based on observable data.
Wind direction is assessed with a wind vane, indicating the origin of the wind.

Weather Patterns and Predictions

Wind direction contributes to weather forecasting; winds from the south are usually warmer, while those from the north are generally colder.
On weather maps, closely spaced isobars indicate higher pressure differences, signifying stronger winds.

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Description

Explore the fascinating process of wind formation through these flashcards. Learn about the definitions of key terms like wind, air currents, and the concepts of updrafts and downdrafts. Perfect for students looking to understand the basics of atmospheric movement.