Global Winds• created because air at the equator is heated more

• cold, dense air from the poles pushes the warm, less dense equatorial air upward

• a convection current is created

Coriolis Effect• rotation of Earth deflects the air

• in the northern hemisphere, deflects to right

• in the southern hemisphere, deflects to left

Coriolis Effect

Global Wind Types

• Doldrums – calm, light winds near equator• Easterlies – steady winds at the poles• Horse Latitudes – areas of no wind• Trade Winds – tropical winds between the

doldrums and the horse latitudes• Westerlies – winds that are impeded by

mountains and valley• Jet Streams – bands of wind near the top

of the troposphere

Global Wind Patterns

Water has a higher specific heat than land does. It takes more energy to raise the temperature of water one degree than it takes to raise the temperature of soil one degree. As a result, ocean temperatures don’t

vary as much as land temperatures.Therefore, land temperatures determine the direction of the winds.

Local Winds – Land Breezes

Local Winds – Sea Breezes

Local Winds – Mountain Breezes

Local Winds – Valley Breezes

Monsoons

Haboobs – an Arabic word for “strong wind.” They can create dust storms or mud storms if it also rains.

A haboob 100 miles wide enters Phoenix, AZ on July 5, 2011

WIND VANE always

points in the direction the

wind is coming FROM.

ANEMOMETER – used to determine wind speed

Winds in the United States

• Wind energy is used to generate electricity. Wind is a renewable energy source because the wind will blow as long as the sun shines.

Electricity from Wind

• Good sites for wind plants are the tops of smooth, rounded hills, open plains or shorelines, and mountain gaps that produce wind funneling.

• 25 states have wind generators.• California, Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, and

Oklahoma generated the most electricity.• In 2005, the US generated 17.8 billion kilowatts

of electricity, enough for 1.6 million households, or for a city the size of Chicago.

Wind Energy

• The world's largest wind farm, the Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Texas, has 421 wind turbines that generate enough electricity to power 230,000 homes per year.

Wind Capacity Rankings

1 Germany

2 Spain

3 United States – generates 0.4% of its electricity from the wind

4 India

5 Denmark – generates 20% of its electricity from the wind

Wind turbines can also be placed on water.