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?
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What causes wind?
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Regions of cold, heavy air have ______ air pressure.
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Regions of warm, light air have ______ air pressure.
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Air moves from regions of _________ pressure to regions of ________ pressure.
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Will the speed of a wind be greater if the difference in air pressure is large or small?
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What is the difference between highs and lows?
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Why does cold air push warm air upward?
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Where on Earth would you expect to find the warmest and least dense air?
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Where on Earth would you expect to find the coldest and densest air?
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Air molecules flow from ________ to ________ pressure creating wind.
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The greater the difference between high and low pressure the __________ the wind speed.
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What direction does the wind blow at the beach during the day?
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Which gets hotter, land or water during the day?
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The air above the 'hot' part of the diagram heats up as energy is transferred from the surface to the atmosphere through __________ and __________.
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What happens to the density of air molecules when air gets heated?
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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.
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An __________ measures the wind speed in ________ or you can estimate using the ________ which is based on __________.
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What will happen at night? What is this called?
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On a weather map, how do you know where it is windiest?
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The closer the isobars are on a weather map, the ________ the pressure difference so the ________ the wind speed.
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Wind direction is determined with a __________.
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Why is knowing the wind direction important in predicting the weather?
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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.