Name: _________________________
Date: _________________________
Flynt – __ Period
___th Grade Science
1. wind
 The horizontal movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of
lower air pressure.
 Caused by differences in air pressure that result from unequal heating of Earth’s
surface.
 Names for this weather factor are assigned based on the direction they blow
from.
2. air pressure
 Caused by the force of air molecules in the atmosphere bumping into you and
the things around you.
 This increases as the density of the air increases.
3. anemometer (an-uh-MOM-mee-ter)
 An instrument used to measure wind speed.
 Usually has 3 or 4 cups that spin around faster as wind speed increases.
4. wind vane
 An instrument used to measure wind direction.
 Wind usually pushes or swings this around until it points into the wind.
5. local wind
 A wind that blows over a short distance.
 Caused by unequal heating of Earth’s surface within a small area.
 Often form near large bodies of water and around mountains.
6. sea breeze
 A wind that blows inland from an ocean or lake onto land.
 This is a local wind that usually forms during the daytime near a large body of
water.
 Forms because land heats up faster than water.
7. land breeze
 A wind that blows off-shore from land out toward a lake or ocean.
 This is a local wind that usually forms at night near a large body of water.
 Forms because land cools off more quickly than water.
8. monsoon(s)
 Large sea and land breezes that blow over a large region.
 These winds change direction with the seasons.
 These winds are larger than most local winds, but smaller than global winds.
9. isobars
 Lines on a weather map that connect points of equal air pressure.
 Winds “should” blow perpendicular to these lines, but the Coriolis effect causes
winds to blow parallel to these lines.
10. Global Winds
 Winds that blow steadily from specific directions over long distances.
 Caused by unequal heating of Earth’s surface due to latitude; higher latitudes
(the poles) get less direct rays from the sun than lower latitudes.
 Movement of air between the poles and equator produces these winds.
11. latitude
 Distance north or south of the equator, measured in degrees.
12. Coriolis effect (kor-ee-OH-lis)
 The way Earth’s rotation makes large-scale winds seem to curve.
 In the northern hemisphere, this makes winds seem to curve to the right.
 This does NOT cause water to form a vortex as it drains from a tub or sink!
13. Trade Winds
 These global wind belts are located on either side of the equator up to 30°N and
30°S latitude.
 In these global wind belts, the winds blow from east to west.
 For hundreds of years, sailors used these winds to carry them from Europe and
Africa to Florida, the Caribbean Islands, and South America.
 These winds steer hurricanes and other tropical systems across the Atlantic
Ocean from Africa to Florida and the Caribbean.
14. Prevailing Westerlies
 These global wind belts are located between 30°N and 60°N and between 30°S
and 60°S latitude.
 In these global wind belts, the winds blow from west to east.
 Cause: The sinking air associated with each Hadley Cell around 30°N and 30°S
creates high pressure areas at the surface called the subtropical highs. When
the air reaches the surface, some of this sinking air is initially pushed north, while
the rest is pushed south. In the Northern hemisphere, the Coriolis effect deflects
the northward moving air to the right, creating westerly winds.
 The southward moving air is also deflected to the right, becoming a belt
of easterly winds (the Trade Winds).
 These global winds play an important role in the weather of the United States,
moving storms across the country from west coast to east coast.
15. Polar Easterlies
 These global wind belts are located at high latitudes from 60°N to 90°N and from
60°S to 90°S.
 In these global wind belts, winds blow from east to west.
 Cause: Cold air sinks at the Poles, creating the Polar highs at the surface. Air
then blows from the Poles down towards the Equator. However, the Coriolis
force deflects the air to the right, resulting in the polar easterlies.
16. Polar Front
 The boundary between the Polar Easterlies and the Prevailing Westerlies of the
mid-latitudes is called this.
 These regions separate cold polar air from the more temperate air of the midlatitudes.
17. Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)
 This region is characterized by warm, rising air, which creates low pressure at the
surface.
 Wherever air rises or sinks, winds are typically very weak and calm.
 This region is located where the Trade Winds in the Northern and Southern
hemisphere converge and rise from the surface over the Equator.
 The winds in this region are often weak/calm, resulting in the what sailors call the
“doldrums”.
18. Horse Latitudes
 These regions, located at approximately 30°N and 30°S latitude, are
characterized by weak/calm winds.
 Sailors travelling between the New World and Europe sometimes became
trapped in this calm region for weeks, forcing them to ration supplies.
Sometimes, they were even forced to abandon excess livestock by throwing it
overboard.
 Cause: The sinking air of each Hadley Cell around 30°N and 30°S creates high
pressure areas at the surface called the subtropical highs.
 Wherever air rises or sinks, winds are typically very weak and calm.