1. Chapter 5 – Earth’s Weather
Lesson 2 – Air Currents and Wind
© Brent Coley |

2. Why are temperatures different?
Sunlight hits the Earth at different angles.
180°
135°
90°
equator

3. Why are temperatures different?
Direct beams of light (90°) create more heat than slanted beams.
180°
135°
90°
equator

4. Why are temperatures different?
Places near the equator get more direct sunlight, so they are warmer than places to the north or south.
180°
135°
90°
equator

5. How is air pressure different over land and water?
sea breeze: air moves from high pressure (over water) to low pressure (over land).
land breeze: air moves from high pressure (over land) to low pressure (over water).

6. What are global winds? As temperature goes up, air pressure goes down.
As temperature goes down, air pressure goes up.

7. What are global winds?
Air always moves from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
Just think of rolling a ball on a slope – it goes from high to low!
High
Low

8. What are global winds?
convection: the rising and falling of gas or liquid in a continuous cycle
When convection happens in air, it forms winds.
global winds: winds that blow in predictable directions over long distances

9. All images courtesy of Microsoft Office Online.