WIND

A wind is the horizontal movement of air from an area of high to low pressure. All winds are caused by differences in air pressure. Winds are named by the direction where the wind comes from. For example; prevailing, periodic, synoptic and local winds. Prevailing winds always blow in the same direction. Ex: trade winds, that blow from tropics to equator (they are a wind belt). Periodic winds are always blowing in the same direction, but they change direction seasonally. Ex: monsoons, that in summer blow from ocean to land (sea breeze), and in winter, they blow from land to sea (land breeze). Synoptic winds change daily. Local winds depend on the geography of the place, such as levante in Andalusia. Global winds are winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances. Warm air rises at the equator and cold air sinks at the poles, causing winds to blow from the poles toward the equator. Coriolis effect and wind-chill factor: the Coriolis effect is the way in which Earths rotation makes winds curve; the wind-chill factor is the increased cooling that a wind can cause you. A wind vane is used to determine the direction of the wind. An anemometer is used to measure the winds speed.

Mayor wind belts

Some factors, such as the Coriolis effect produce calm areas and wind belts. The calm areas are called doldrums and horse latitudes.

The mayor global wind belts are the trade winds, the prevailing westerlies and the polar easterlies. Trade winds blow from the equator to 30 latitude north and south. The prevailing westerlies from 30 to 60 latitude north and south. The polar easterlies between 60 latitude and the poles. Above 10 km above Earths surface are bands of high-speed winds called jet-streams. They blow from west to east.