Winds Vocab

local wind

A wind that occurs on a small scale in a specific area.

sea breeze

A local wind that develops over water and flows toward land, typically occurring during the day as the land heats up faster than the water.

land breeze

A type of local wind that blows from land to sea, typically occurring at night when the land cools faster than the water.

mountain breeze

A local wind that flows down from mountain slopes into valleys, usually occurring at night when the air cools.

valley breeze

A local wind that flows from the valley to the mountain slopes, typically occurring during the day as the valley air heats up.

prevailing global winds

Winds that blow predominantly from specific directions over long distances due to the Earth's rotation and temperature differences.

westerlies

winds that blow from the west towards the east at mid-latitudes in both hemispheres

trade winds

Tropical winds that blow from east to west

polar easterlies

winds that blow from the east towards the west in polar regions

doldrums

a region near the equator characterized by light winds and calm seas, often associated with stagnant weather.

horse latitudes

subtropical regions where winds are calm and there is little precipitation.

jet stream

a fast-flowing, narrow air current found in the upper levels of the atmosphere, typically moving from west to east and influencing weather patterns.

Coriolis Effect

The deflection of moving objects, such as wind, caused by Earth's rotation.