Chapter 5

Pressure
and Winds
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

What is air pressure ?

• Weight of air
Measuring air pressure
• Done using a barometer
Rotating drum with Semi-vacuum drum
graph paper
attached
Marker

Mercury barometer

Aneroid barometer
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

Factors affecting air pressure

1. Altitude
• Air pressure decreases with increasing altitude
• At greater heights, gravity exerts less pull on the air
 Lower concentration of gases
 Lighter air and lower air pressure

2. Temperature
• Air pressure decreases with increasing temperature
• Molecules in warm air are further apart
 The air is lighter and exerts less pressure
• Molecules in cool air are closer together
 The air is heavier and more pressure is exerted
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

Air pressure and wind

• Wind is moving air
• Air tends to move
from an area of high
pressure to an area of

low pressure
• The greater the
difference in pressure
(pressure gradient),
the stronger the wind
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

Measuring wind speed

• An anemometer is used to measure how fast the wind
blows

A conventional cup
anemometer

A vane anemometer
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

• The Beaufort scale provides a numerical system for

describing wind speed
Observed effects Description of observed Description Speed Beaufort
effects (km/h) number

Smoke rises vertically Calm <1 0

Direction shown by smoke Light air 1–5 1

Wind vane moves;

Light breeze 6 – 12 2
wind is felt on the face

Wind extends a light flag; Gentle

13 – 20 3
leaves move breeze

Wind raises dust and loose

Moderate
paper; moves small 21 – 29 4
breeze
branches on trees
Fresh
Small trees start to sway 30 – 39 5
breeze
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

Observed effects Description of observed Description Speed Beaufort

effects (km/h) number
Large trees sway;
Strong
umbrellas used with 40 – 50 6
breeze
difficulty
Whole tree sways; walking Moderate
51 – 61 7
into the wind is hindered gale
Twigs break off trees;
Fresh gale 62 – 74 8
walking is hindered

Slight damage to buildings Strong gale 75 – 87 9

Trees uprooted;
Whole gale 88 – 102 10
severe damage to buildings
Widespread damage Storm 103 – 120 11
Extremely violent;
Hurricane > 120 12
devastation
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

Measuring wind direction

• A wind vane shows the
direction from which the
wind blows
• It is attached to an object
well above ground such
as the roof of a building
• It should be located away
from objects such as
buildings and trees which
interfere with the true
wind direction
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

• Records of wind direction for all days of the

month may be presented in the form of a wind
rose
– Shows the number of
days when there was
no wind
– Shows the predominant
wind direction for the
month
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

Global wind system

• Coriolis force
– Results from the Earth’s rotation
– Causes winds to be
deflected from their
original course
– Winds are deflected
to the right in the
northern hemisphere
– Winds are deflected
to the left in the
southern hemisphere
Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

The four main belts in the global wind syste

 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

• Doldrums
– A belt of low pressure along the Equator
– Absence of Coriolis effect
– Characterised by light winds
– Also known as the ITCZ

Thunderstorms of the ITCZ encircling the Earth

 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

Cross-section of the ITCZ

 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

• Westerlies
– Prevailing winds that generally blow from the west
– Originate from the subtropical belt of high pressure,
like the trade winds
– Blow northwards and southwards towards the poles
– Westerlies are descending winds and thus are warm
and dry
• Polar easterlies
– Winds that blow from the cold high-pressure centre of
the poles towards the Equator
– Converge with the westerlies, thereby creating
frequently changing weather conditions over Europe
• Trade winds
– Prevailing winds that blow
towards the Equator
from the northern and
southern hemispheres
– General direction affected
by the Coriolis force
– Northeast winds in the
northern hemisphere
– Southeast winds in the
southern hemisphere
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

Caribbean trade winds

ITCZ
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

• The wind belts

arise from three
circulation cells
 Chapter 5: Pressure and Winds

1. Hadley cell
– Air rises at the Equator and moves towards the poles, then
descends at 30N and 30S latitudes and flows back to the
Equator

2. Ferrel cell
– Air sinks at 30N and 30S latitudes and flows towards the
poles, then rises at 60N and 60S latitudes and flows
back to the 30 latitude border

3. Polar cell
– Air rises at 60N and 60S latitudes and moves towards
the poles, then sinks at the poles and flows back to the 60
latitude border