Question

1. what causes wind to blow and what are global wind patterns?

Explanation:

Wind forms due to differences in atmospheric pressure, which are driven by uneven heating of Earth's surface by the sun. Air moves from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas, creating wind. Global wind patterns are large-scale, consistent wind systems shaped by this uneven heating plus the Coriolis effect (Earth's rotation deflecting wind direction):

1. Trade Winds: Steady winds blowing from subtropical high-pressure zones toward the equatorial low-pressure zone (doldrums), deflected to the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.
2. Westerlies: Winds blowing from subtropical high-pressure zones toward polar low-pressure zones, deflected to the southwest in the Northern Hemisphere and northwest in the Southern Hemisphere; they influence weather in mid-latitudes.
3. Polar Easterlies: Cold winds blowing from polar high-pressure zones toward subpolar low-pressure zones, deflected to the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in the Southern Hemisphere.
4. Doldrums: Calm, low-pressure area near the equator where trade winds converge, with little to no wind.
5. Horse Latitudes: Calm, high-pressure zones near 30° N/S latitude where air sinks, leading to weak winds.

Answer:

Wind blows because of uneven solar heating of Earth's surface, which creates differences in atmospheric pressure. Air flows from regions of high pressure to low pressure, producing wind; the Coriolis effect (Earth's rotation) further deflects wind direction.

Global wind patterns are large, consistent wind systems, including:

• Trade Winds: Steady, deflected winds toward the equator from 30° N/S.
• Westerlies: Mid-latitude winds blowing toward the poles.
• Polar Easterlies: Cold winds blowing from the poles toward mid-latitudes.
• Doldrums: Calm equatorial low-pressure zone.
• Horse Latitudes: Calm subtropical high-pressure zones.