Wind
- The wind is the movement of air caused by differences in air pressure in our atmosphere.
- High-pressure air flows toward low-pressure areas.
- The greater the pressure difference, the faster the air flows.
- Winds also cause heat exchange between the various columns of air across the latitudes.
- Winds help to balance the world’s unequal pressure distribution.
Forces Controlling Winds
- Pressure Gradient and Winds
- The greater the difference in air pressure between the two points, the steeper is the pressure gradient and greater is the speed of the wind.
- The gentler the pressure gradient slower is the speed of the wind.
- Coriolis Effect and Wind
- They get deflected from their original paths.
- One of the most potent influences on wind direction is the deflection caused by the earth’s rotation on its axis.
- Demonstrated by Gaspaved de Coriolis in 1844 and known as the Coriolis effect or coriolis force.
- Coriolis force tends to deflect the winds from their original direction.
- In the northern hemisphere winds are deflected towards their right, and in the southern hemisphere towards their left .This is known as Ferrel’s law.
- The Coriolis force is absent along the equator but increases progressively towards the poles.
