Module E

Unit 1
Lesson 1
Exploration 2
Explaining the circulation of air
 Wind Formation
● Temperature differences on Earth’s
surface are caused by Earth’s tilt and
the curved surface.
● Wind is caused by the uneven heating
of Earth and its atmosphere.
● Wind is the movement of air from
high pressure areas into
low pressure areas.
Causing air circulation (wind).
Wind

● High-pressure bands form near Earth’s poles because the poles gets
LESS solar energy than the equator.

● Low-pressure bands form above the equator because the equator

gets MORE solar energy than the poles.

● The bands have convection cells between them.

Wind
● Cool air is denser than warm air is.
● If no other factors influenced the flow of air in the atmosphere
○ air at the poles would sink and flow toward the equator at the
equator, the warm air would rise and flow toward the poles, cooling
as it moved.
○ the cooled air would sink at the poles. As a result
○ Earth would have two large convection cells.
○ One from the North Pole to the equator, and the other from the
South Pole to the equator.
○ Air would flow in a straight line as it moves between the poles and
the equator.
 Coriolis Effect
● If the earth didn’t rotate, winds
would blow in a straight line
from the poles to the equator.
● Because the Earth rotates
wind curves, This is called the
Coriolis Effect.
 Formation of Wind Belts and Global Winds
● The Coriolis effect prevents winds from flowing directly from the poles to
the equator.
● The curving horizontal winds combine with vertically moving air to form
smaller convection cells that are about 30° of latitude wide.
● Bands of high pressure and bands of low pressure form between
convection cells
● This pattern of vertically-moving air, curving horizontal winds, and bands
of high and low pressure forms three wind belts in each hemisphere.
● Unequal heating of Earth’s surface and the Coriolis effect cause distinct
patterns of global winds.Each global wind pattern has a specific name.
Doldrums
Area of Earth unaffected by wind is called the
doldrums.
Trades Winds
● Warm (less dense) air rises away from the poles
 Horse Latitudes
● Earth's atmosphere is dominated
by the subtropical high, an area
of high pressure, which
suppresses precipitation and
cloud formation, and has variable
winds mixed with calm winds.
Prevailing Westerlies
● Are located near 30 degrees N and S of the
equator,
● They are reason for the movement of many
weather systems in USA
Polar Easterlies
● Cold (dense) air near the poles sink and flow
back toward the lower latitudes.
Jet Stream
● Narrow belts of strong winds called
jet streams blow at speeds of
200-400 mph at higher altitudes