Types of Winds
Global Winds
Global winds are the dominant prevailing wind patterns that blow in a fairly constant, steady direction across our earth
Global Convection Currents
All wind is caused by the uneven heating of Earth's surface, which sets convection currents in motion. Convection currents on a large scale cause global winds, and convection currents on a small scale cause local winds.
The Coriolanus Effect
The Coriolis effect is most apparent in the path of an object moving longitudinally. On the Earth an object that moves along a north-south path, or longitudinal line, will undergo apparent deflection to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
Global Wind Belts
The globe is encircled by six major wind belts, three in each hemisphere. From pole to equator, they are the polar easterlies, the westerlies, and the trade winds. They are all over the world.
Doldrums
Doldrums are an equatorial region of the Atlantic Ocean with calms, sudden storms, and light unpredictable winds.
Horse Latitudes
Horse Latitudes are a belt of calm air and sea occurring in both the northern and southern hemispheres between the trade winds and the westerlies.
Trade Winds
Trade winds are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics, within the lower portion of the Earth's atmosphere, in the lower section of the troposphere near the Earth's equator.
Prevailing Westerlies
Prevailing Westerlies are prevailing winds from the west toward the east in the middle latitudes between 30 and 60 degrees latitude. They originate from the high-pressure areas in the horse latitudes and tend towards the poles and steer extra-tropical cyclones in this general manner.
Polar Easterlies
Polar Easterlies are the dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the high-pressure areas of the polar highs at the North and South Poles towards low-pressure areas
Jet Streams
Jet streams are fast flowing, relatively narrow air currents found in the atmosphere around 10 kilometers above the surface of the Earth. They form at the boundaries of adjacent air masses with significant differences in temperature
Credits:
Created with images by Donations_are_appreciated - "mill windmill wind" • NASA Goddard Photo and Video - "Tracking a Superstorm [hd video]" • NASA Goddard Photo and Video - "GEOS-5 Model Run Showing Hurricane Katrina [HD Video]" • Atmospheric Infrared Sounder - "Belt of Carbon Dioxide in Southern Hemisphere with Winds, July 2003"