Combination Notes for Wind Patterns
The atmosphere has wind patterns.
Uneven heating causes air to move.
 Weather- the condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a particular time and place
 Wind- air that moves horizontally (parallel to the ground)
 Air is set in motion by uneven heating of Earth’s surface (pressure differences)
 Air moves from higher pressure to lower pressure (over a short distance)
 Differences in air pressure cause winds
 Difference in air pressure determines the strength of wind

How wind forms:
1) Sunlight warms ground>ground warms the air>warm air rises>low pressure forms
2) Sunlight warms a portion of the ground>cooler, less dense air sinks>high pressure forms
3) Air moves as wind from high to low pressure
Patterns of heating and cooling cause local winds
 Local winds:
1) sea and land breezes (occur near shorelines)
Sea breeze – during the day, land heats up>air over land rises and expands>denser ocean air
moves into area of low pressure (land)
Land breeze – during the night, land cools>warm air rises over the ocean>cooler air flows in from
the land towards the sea
2) Valley & Mountain breezes
Valleys heat up & cool slower than the mountains.
During the day valley breezes flow up mountains and at night mountain breezes flow down
into the valley.
*Winds flow inland during the day and toward the ocean during the night.
*Winds flow up mountain slopes during the day and down the slopes during the night.