THS Earth/Space Science

What forces cause the wind to blow?  In class today, we discussed and took notes on the processes at work in the Earth’s atmosphere:

1. The Earth is heated unevenly.  Warm air is less dense and rises.
2. Uneven heating causes differences in pressure:  Some areas are higher pressure, some are lower.
3. The atmosphere wants to be in balance
4. This desire for balance causes air to move
5. Air moves from where there is too much (H) to where there is too little (L)
6. Moving air = wind!

We then explored more about how the Earth’s rotation affects weather:  The Coriolis Effect.  Tomorrow we’ll complete a lab on how the Earth’s surface heats differentially.