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Global Winds Notes

The uneven heating of the Earth by the Sun causes global wind patterns. Warm air rises at the equator, creating low pressure, and sinks at the poles, creating high pressure. This forms convection belts that move air through the atmosphere. Earth's rotation causes the Coriolis effect, which causes winds to curve. The major global winds are easterlies, westerlies, and trade winds, which together with pressure belts and the Coriolis effect produce patterns like jet streams and doldrums in the atmosphere.

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61 views3 pages

Global Winds Notes

The uneven heating of the Earth by the Sun causes global wind patterns. Warm air rises at the equator, creating low pressure, and sinks at the poles, creating high pressure. This forms convection belts that move air through the atmosphere. Earth's rotation causes the Coriolis effect, which causes winds to curve. The major global winds are easterlies, westerlies, and trade winds, which together with pressure belts and the Coriolis effect produce patterns like jet streams and doldrums in the atmosphere.

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Global Winds

2/9/21

How does wind form on the Earth?


EQ: How does the energy from the Sun influence the global movement of the atmosphere?

LG: I will be able to explain how the Sun produces wind globally.

Question Notes
What causes global winds? The uneven heating of the planet
Earth causes global winds.

How is the Earth heated The Equator gets direct heat from
unevenly to form global the Sun while the Poles do not.
winds? This makes the Poles colder than
at the Equator. This results from
the tilt of the Earth’s axis.

What results from the uneven The uneven heating of the Earth
heating of the Earth? results in the formation of
Convection Belts that move air
through the atmosphere.

How are these Convection Belts As the Equator is heated, warm


formed? air rises and spreads out away
from it. This causes an area of low
pressure over the Equator. As the
air rises it begins to cool. The
cooled air becomes more dense
and begins to sink. This causes an
area of high pressure. The rising
and sinking air creates Convection
Belts of low and high pressure.
How does Earth’s rotation affect Earth’s rotation causes the winds
wind in the atmosphere? to appear to curve. This is known
as the Coriolis Effect. In the
Northern Hemisphere the winds
appear to curve to the right while
in the Southern Hemisphere
winds appear to curve to the left.
What are Global winds? Global winds are the combination
of Convection Belts, Pressure
Belts and the Coriolis Effect.
What are the major Global winds? The major Global winds are:
Easterlies: Winds moving away
from the Poles and curve to the
West.
Westerlies: Winds moving toward
the Poles and curve to the East.
Trade winds: Winds that travel
towards the Equator and curve to
the West.

What patterns do Global winds The patterns in the atmosphere


create in the atmosphere? created by Global winds are
Doldrums and Jet Streams.
Doldrums: An area of still air at
the Equator. It is considered a
Global wind but not a major
Global wind.
Jet Streams: Fast moving currents
of air found in Earth’s upper
atmosphere. They move from
West to East and form where
masses of hot and cold air meet.
Their position can move north or
south depending on temperature.
It moves further south when the
temperature is cold and further
north when it is warm. Although
considered Global winds, they are
not major Global winds.
Wrap Up/ What did I learn? Global winds are winds that occur in belts
that go all around the planet. Like
local winds, global winds are caused by
unequal heating of the atmosphere. Global
winds occur in belts around the globe.

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