Read each slide, some slides have

information to record on your

organizer. Some slides have
numbers that go with the question
or red and underlined to use for
answering the questions.
 Essential Question:
How does unequal heating and
the Earths rotation affect wind &
weather patterns?
Standards:
S6E4a. Demonstrate that land and water absorb and lose
heat at different rates and explain the resulting effects on
weather patterns.
S6E4b. Relate unequal heating of land and water
surfaces to form large global wind systems
S6E2c. Relate the tilt of the earth to the distribution of
sunlight throughout the year and its effect on climate.
 Learning Target:
When the temperature of a fluid (like air)
changes, so does its density. As the
density of air changes, it begins to move -
cooler, more dense air sinks and warmer,
less dense air rises. So differences in the
temperature of air in the atmosphere sets
air in motion, which drives all of the
weather on Earth. To truly understand
this, we need to step back and explore
why and where on earth there are
temperature differences.
 Objectives

Explain how the sun heats

Earth's surface unevenly.
Describe global patterns of
wind, precipitation, and ocean
currents.
 Read ONLY!
Uneven Heating of Earth's Surface Energy from the
sun warms Earth's surface. But because of Earth's
spherical shape, different locations on Earth's
surface receive different amounts of solar energy.
Near the equator, the sun's rays strike the surface
most directly. At latitudes farther from the equator
the rays strike Earth's surface at lower angles,
causing the same amount of solar energy to be
spread over a larger area (Figure 34-6). As a result,
regions on Earth's surface farther from the equator
absorb less heat and generally experience cooler
temperatures than regions closer to the equator.
These temperature differences also drive global air
and water movements.
1. Read then summarize use the red to help
you in the summary!
The uneven heating of the Earth's
surface is caused by the sun.
This occurs because the Earth is
a tilted sphere and the sun does
not heat all its surfaces equally
and because the sun's heat
penetrates land and water at
different rates.
2. This uneven heating of
land forms wind systems.

(Figure 34-6).
 3. Wind is caused by
differences in air pressure.
Areas of high pressure move
to areas of low pressure.
Air pressure is related to
density. Lets review density.
 Which one has greater
density? Greater pressure?

Greater Density Lower Density

Greater Pressure Lower Pressure
We will consider Density and
Pressure to be the same.

What about temperature?

What did you learn about
temperature and density?
Look at the images below. Identify which
image has: Higher Temperature, Higher
Density, Higher Pressure.

Higher Temperature Lower Temperature

Lower Density Higher Density
Lower Pressure Higher Pressure
4.Temperature, Density and
Pressure
Density
increases, Temperature
Pressure increases
increases
Density
Temperature decreases,
decreases Pressure
decreases
 Lets apply these
concepts back to wind.
Wind is caused by
differences in air pressure.
Areas of high pressure move
to areas of low pressure.
In which direction would the wind
move below.

Higher Temperature Lower Temperature

Lower Density Higher Density
Lower Pressure Higher Pressure
 Why?

Higher Temperature Lower Temperature

Lower Density Higher Density
Lower Pressure Higher Pressure
Think of it this waymatter naturally wants
to move from where it is crowded to where
it is less crowded. This concept is true for all
of science.

Higher Temperature Lower Temperature

Lower Density Higher Density
Lower Pressure Higher Pressure
 Particles naturally want to move
from where they are more crowded
to where they are less crowded.

17
5. Which areas of the earth have air that is
low pressure (low density)? Why? What
about high pressure (high density)?
Distributed Summarizing:
Turn to a seat partner and
describe how wind moves.
Together discuss the following
question: What makes wind
travel at faster speeds?
8. Differences in density and pressure cause wind and
air movement. The movement of air occurs in
convection currents.
Convection currents are simply the transfer of heat by
the circulation or movement of the heated parts of a
liquid or gas.
10. Everyday Examples of Convection Currents.

http://www.healthyheating.com/Definitions/heat-
transfer-convection.htm#.VD7SIfmjOSo
12.
Large Convection Currents are formed
because of the temperature differences
between the equator and the poles. This
produces global wind systems.
 The sinking of cold, dense air and
the rising of warm, less dense air do
not explain everything about wind.

What other factor have we

discussed previously that affects the
direction of winds on the earths
surface?
Surface winds and surface currents are
affected by the rotation of the Earth
(the Coriolis Effect)

Because Earth rotates toward the east,

winds appear to curve to the right in the
northern hemisphere and to the left in
the southern hemisphere
The effect of the earths rotation
(Coriolis Effect) on Winds

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1904/e
s1904page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es1905
/es1905page01.cfm?chapter_no=visualization
 The flow of air caused by unequal
heating of the Earths surface and the
rotation of the Earth (Coriolis Effect)
creates distinct wind patterns on
Earths surface.

These wind systems not only

influence the weather, they also
determine when and where ships
and planes travel most efficiently.
Below is a diagram showing the global wind
patterns that distribute heat and moisture
around the globe. Use with question 15
What are the global wind patterns?
The equator receives the Sun's direct rays. Here,
air is heated and rises, leaving low pressure areas
behind. Moving to about thirty degrees north and
south of the equator, the warm air from the equator
begins to cool and sink. Between thirty degrees
latitude and the equator, most of the cooling sinking
air moves back to the equator. The rest of the air
flows toward the poles.
Distributed Summarizing:
Turn to a seat partner and
describe the factors that
influence global wind
patterns.
Global wind systems determine
the major weather patterns for
the entire planet.
Smaller wind systems affect local
weather. Two such wind systems
are sea breezes and land breezes.
 High
65F
85F Pressure
Low Pressure
Look at the temperatures of the land
and the sea in this diagram. Which
direction would the wind blow? Why?
 High
65F
85F Pressure
Low Pressure

A sea breeze occurs when wind is

moving from the sea towards land.
 Land heats up and cools
down faster than water.
How does this affect wind?
 Low
55F 65F
Pressure
High Pressure
At night when the earths surface
is no longer being heated by the sun,
the land cools much more rapidly than
ocean water. What happens to the wind?
 Low
55F 65F
Pressure
High Pressure

A land breeze occurs when wind is

moving from the land to the sea.
How do sea breezes and land
breezes affect local weather?
http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/edu/k12/.breezes
Local winds: Sea Breeze and
Land Breeze
What is a High Pressure System?
A high pressure system is a whirling mass
of cool, dry air that generally brings fair
weather and light winds. When viewed
from above, winds spiral out of a high-
pressure center in a clockwise rotation in
the Northern Hemisphere. These bring
sunny skies. A high pressure system is
represented as a big, blue H.
H
 What is a Low Pressure System?
A low pressure system is a whirling mass
of warm, moist air that generally brings
stormy weather with strong winds. When
viewed from above, winds spiral into a
low-pressure center in a
counterclockwise rotation in the
Northern Hemisphere. A low pressure
system is represented as a big, red L.
L
 Sea
Breeze
Land
Breeze
 Identify which
diagram
illustrates a Sea
Breeze and a Land
Breeze. Explain
why. Include high
and low air
pressure in your
explanation.

High
Pressure Sea Breeze
Low Pressure
Sea breeze, a local wind system
characterized by a flow from sea
to land during the day. Sea
breezes alternate with land
breezes along the coastal
regions of oceans or large lakes
in the absence of a strong large-
scale wind system during periods
of strong daytime heating
A land breeze is a local nighttime and early
morning wind that occurs along coasts and
blows offshore (from the land out to sea). It
arises at sunset, when the sea surface is
warmer than the adjacent land due to the
land cooling off faster and having a lower
heat capacity, and continues into the early
morning hours until the heating of the day
begins.
Although commonly associated with ocean
shorelines, land breezes can also be
experienced near lakes and other large
bodies of water.
Low
Pressure
Land Breeze
High Pressure
Summary: