What causes wind?

Wind powers Spain. It pollinates our plants. And it blows particulate from China as far as the United States.

What causes wind?

Inertial motion due to the rotation of the earth Compositional stratification in the atmosphere Trees breathing Air moving from areas of high air pressure to low air pressure

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8 solutions

Discussions for this problem are now closed

Võ Trọng
Jan 17, 2014

Using wind power request strong wind to turn the turbin. So air moving from areas of high air pressure to low air pressure is satisfy with this request

Wind is caused by air flowing from high pressure to low pressure. Since the Earth is rotating, however, the air does not flow directly from high to low pressure, but it is deflected to the right (in the Northern Hemisphere; to the left in the Southern Hemisphere), so that the wind flows mostly around the high and low pressure areas.

This effect of the wind "feeling the Earth turn underneath it" is important for very large and long-lived pressure systems. For small, short-lived systems (such as in the cold outflow of a thunderstorm) the wind will flow directly from high pressure to low pressure.

The closer the high and low pressure areas are together, the stronger the "pressure gradient", and the stronger the winds. On weather maps, lines of constant pressure are drawn (as in the example, above) which are called "isobars". These isobars are usually labeled with their pressure value in millibars (mb). The closer these lines are together, the stronger the wind.

The curvature of the isobars is also important to the wind speed. Given the same pressure gradient (isobar spacing), if the isobars are curved anticyclonically (around the high pressure in the above example) the wind will be stronger. If the isobars are curved cyclonically (around the low pressure in the example above) the wind will be weaker.

Near the surface of the Earth, friction from the ground slows the wind down. During the day, when convective mixing is stirring up the lower atmosphere, this effect is minimized. At night, however, when convective mixing has stopped, the surface wind can slow considerably, or even stop altogether.

Wind can be thought of one way that the atmosphere moves excess heat around. Directly or indirectly, wind forms for the promary purpose of helping to transport excess heat either away from the surface of the Earth, where sunlight causes an excess of energy buildup, or from warm regions (usually the tropics) to cooler regions (usually the higher latitudes).

Extratropical cyclones accomplish much of this heat transport outside of the tropics, while in the tropics the trade winds, monsoons, and hurricanes transport much of the heat.

haseeb ahmad - 7 years, 4 months ago

there can be many consequences for the movement of wind across the globe. cold wind moving towards hotter places due to pressure gradient. and also due to process of diffusion. we can not ignore diffusion of different gases in the atmosphere. it is also a contributing factor for the movement of wind

Saif Cruise - 7 years, 2 months ago

So,from this discussion,I get a sensation that wind will be there even if earth stops it's spinning....but it's impossible.....rotation of earth is what causes wind in my opinion

Tharun Namboothiri - 7 years, 4 months ago

even if the earth stops rotating, sun's radiations will cause uplifting of air near equator and the air will tend to move towards the poles (both north and south). However the movement of air throughout the planet will be much simpler than what it is now but remember wind will still be there

Tanveer Shams - 7 years, 2 months ago

Wind is caused by air flowing from high pressure to low pressure. The Earth’s rotation prevents that flow from being direct, but deflects it side to side(right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern), so wind flows around the high and low pressure areas. This movement around is important for very large and long-lived pressure systems. For small, short-lived systems (outflow of a thunderstorm) the wind will flow directly from high pressure to low pressure.

Shubham Sharma
Jan 20, 2014

Wind is created when air moves from one place to another. The driving force of wind is a difference in air pressure. Air will move from high pressure to low pressure. The greater the difference in pressure, the stronger the wind.

The difference in air pressure actually causes wind.

lachu rameswar - 7 years, 3 months ago
Rakibul Hassan
Jan 31, 2014

When temperature increases air particle gets heated up & become less dense. so air from higher dense atmosphere comes to less dense region to neutralize this effect. This is why air moves causing wind flow.

Bryan Dellariarte
Mar 24, 2014

Wind can be thought of one way that the atmosphere moves excess heat around. Directly or indirectly, wind forms for the promary purpose of helping to transport excess heat either away from the surface of the Earth, where sunlight causes an excess of energy buildup, or from warm regions (usually the tropics) to cooler regions (usually the higher latitudes).

Ammar Rafi
Feb 25, 2014

Everything flows from a level of high concentration to low concentration.
Thus, at the places where concentration of winds get lessened the wind blows and these winds comes from a region of high concentration and leaving the low concentration region of wind behind. This results into a cycle and goes on and on.................

Rajib Raju
Jan 26, 2014

air is moving one place to another place by impact of air pressure because one place when air is reduce by atmospheric pressure it create empty air place then Air moving from areas of high air pressure to low air pressure location.

Ammar Aziz
Jan 26, 2014

Actually it is natural instinict of every entity to gain balance and calm. Same is the case with matter particles, if they are clustered at one place due to some external driving force or due to anyother cause then it is thier tendenct to move to a place where there density is low. But keep in mind it is not always the number of particles which matter but also it is the speed with which they or moving, revolving, vibrating etc in a particular area. So where the pressure is high automatically a driving force established thier which push the particles to a region with low pressure and that is all. Good Bye

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