• Question: where does the wind come from

    Asked by abiola to Angela, Gabriele, Karen, Shane on 20 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Shane Mc Guinness

      Shane Mc Guinness answered on 20 Nov 2013:

      Good question,
      Wind is definitely my least favourite type of weather.
      This is caused by large movements in the atmosphere of our planet. Larger air currents around the world swirl around each other in opposite directions causing changes in its direction.
      Also there are different pressures around our planet. Air will naturally move from an area of high pressure to low pressure to try and make itself even.
      Hope that helps.

    • Photo: Gabriele De Chiara

      Gabriele De Chiara answered on 20 Nov 2013:

      Hello abiola, another great questions. Yes wind is a bit annoying I agree with Shane, but then you can fly kites, go windsurfing or sailing. And actually life would not be possible without wind as pollen and seeds would not spread without it.

      Wind goes from zones of high pressure (high density of air) to zones of low pressure (less density of air). The zones of high and low pressure again arises because of local warming and cooling of regions.

    • Photo: Angela Stevenson

      Angela Stevenson answered on 20 Nov 2013:

      Hi Abiola! I love wind, it’s the force that causes waves, which I can then surf 🙂 Ok, so we ve covered how waves are formed, but how does wind come about in the first place? Such a great question! Wind is essentially the motion of air molecules, and is driven by what is called the pressure gradient force. This force is caused by changes in air pressure over a specified horizontal distance, which causes air molecules from the region of relatively high air pressure to rush toward the area of low pressure. Such horizontal pressure differences of all scales generate the wind that we experience every day (especially today, there was such a cold wind!). Hope that helps 🙂

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