What Causes Wind Patterns?

Wind patterns are primarily driven by the uneven heating of the Earth's surface. As the Sun's rays strike the Earth, different surfaces absorb and release heat at different rates. This uneven heating creates temperature variations that cause air to move, resulting in the formation of wind patterns.

Global Wind Patterns

There are three main global wind patterns: the trade winds, the prevailing westerlies, and the polar easterlies. These wind patterns are influenced by the Coriolis effect, which is the result of the Earth's rotation causing moving air and water to appear to veer off their course.

Trade Winds

The trade winds are consistent easterly winds that flow from the subtropical high-pressure belts towards the equator. They are named "trade winds" because they were historically used by traders to sail across the oceans. These winds play a crucial role in shaping the climate of regions they affect.

Prevailing Westerlies

The prevailing westerlies are winds that flow from the subtropical high-pressure belts towards the polar regions in both the northern and southern hemispheres. These winds play a significant role in shaping the weather patterns of the mid-latitudes, including the United States and Europe.

Polar Easterlies

The polar easterlies are cold winds that blow from the polar high-pressure belts towards the mid-latitudes. They are relatively weak and erratic due to the small temperature gradient between the polar regions and the mid-latitudes.

Local Wind Patterns

In addition to global wind patterns, local wind patterns are influenced by the specific geography and topography of an area. For example, land and sea breezes are local wind patterns that occur due to the differential heating of land and water.

Study Guide for Wind Patterns

What are the three main global wind patterns? Describe each one and its impact on regional climates.
Explain the Coriolis effect and its role in shaping global wind patterns.
How do local geographic features influence the formation of local wind patterns?
Discuss the significance of wind patterns in shaping weather and climate systems.

◂Science Worksheets and Study Guides Eighth Grade. Volcanoes

Vocabulary/Answer key

Volcanoes

Vocabulary/Answer key

Volcanoes

Vocabulary/Answer key

Volcanoes

The resources above cover the following skills:

Earth/Space Science: Students will use scientific skills and processes to explain the chemical and physical interactions (i.e., natural forces and cycles, transfer of energy) of the environment, Earth, and the universe that occur over time.

Earth History: Explain how sedimentary rock is formed periodically, embedding plant and animal remains and leaving a record of the sequence in which the plants and animals appeared and disappeared.

Explain how sedimentary rock buried deep enough may be reformed by pressure and heat and these reformed rock layers may be forced up again to become land surface and even mountains.