Wind
OBJECTIVES
• Define wind and distinguish the
different classifications of wind.
• Understand how wind is formed.
What is wind?
What is wind?
Wind is the movement of air, created by
differences in atmospheric pressure. When warm
air rises, cooler air moves in to fill the gap,
generating a flow of air.
How is wind formed?
Wind is formed when the sun heats the Earth's
surface unevenly. This heating causes warm air to
rise, creating areas of low pressure, while cooler,
denser air sinks, resulting in areas of high
pressure. Air then moves from high-pressure areas
to low-pressure areas to balance out these
differences. This movement of air is what we feel
as wind.
CLASSIFICATION OF
WINDS
Permanent Wind
The permanent winds are the winds which blow from high-pressure belts to
low-pressure belts constantly in the same direction throughout the year.
They are also known as the primary or planetary winds. They not only blow
over the continents but also over the seas and oceans.
Trade winds and Anti-Trade Winds
Trade wind - The trade winds are winds that blow east to west
just north and south of the equator.
Anti-trade wind – Are winds that blows from southwest to
northeast in the northern hemisphere and from northwest to
southwest in the southern hemisphere. This is also called as
westerlies.
Periodic Wind
Periodic wind refers to wind patterns that occur with regular intervals
or cycles. This can be influenced by various factors such as
geographical features, weather systems, and seasonal changes. For
example, land and sea breezes are types of periodic winds that occur
daily due to temperature differences between land and water.
Local Wind
Local winds are winds that blow over a limited area. Local winds
blow between small low and high pressure systems. They are
influenced by local geography. Nearness to an ocean, lake, or
mountain range can affect local winds. Some examples include sea
breezes, monsoons, and chinook winds. Local winds can affect the
weather and climate of a region.
Sea Breeze and Land Breeze
Sea Breeze Occurrence: Typically during the day.
Mechanism: As the sun heats the land, the temperature of the land rises more quickly than
that of the water. The warm air over the land becomes lighter and rises, creating a low-
pressure area. The cooler, denser air over the sea then moves in to replace it, creating a
breeze from the sea to the land.
Land Breeze Occurrence: Usually at night.
Mechanism: At night, the land cools down more rapidly than the sea. The cooler, denser air
over the land creates a high-pressure area. As the warm air over the sea rises, the cooler air
from the land moves out to the sea, resulting in a breeze from the land to the sea.
Valley and Mountain Winds
Valley Winds
Valley winds typically occur during the day. As the sun rises, the valley floor warms up more quickly
than the surrounding mountains. The warm air in the valley rises, creating a low-pressure area. As
this warm air ascends, cooler air from higher elevations moves down into the valley to replace it,
resulting in a gentle breeze flowing up the valley.
Mountain Winds
Mountain winds usually occur at night. After sunset, the mountains cool down faster than the valleys.
The air over the mountains becomes denser and sinks, creating a high-pressure area. This cooler,
denser air then flows down the slopes into the valley, generating a breeze that moves from the
mountains to the valley.
Katabatic Winds
Katabatic winds are strong, cold winds that descend from elevated terrains, such as mountains or
glaciers, down to lower elevations. These winds occur when the air near the surface cools rapidly,
becoming denser than the surrounding air. As the denser air sinks, it accelerates downhill, often
leading to gusty conditions.
Katabatic winds are commonly found in polar regions, where cold air accumulates at higher altitudes
and then flows downwards, but they can also occur in other mountainous areas. These winds can be
quite powerful and can cause significant changes in local weather, including temperature drops and
increased wind chill. In some cases, katabatic winds can create conditions favorable for snow and ice
formation, particularly in glacial areas.
Thank You!
