Some would explain what causes wind by defining what wind is. The common definition of wind is that it is air flowing from high pressure to low pressure. The direction of the wind is determined by the rotation of the planet. Although this definition may seem sufficient, there are other questions that arise from it. A really curious person would want to know what causes the differences in pressure and how exactly the rotation of the Earth affects the direction of the wind. Finding the answers to these questions will allow you to know a more exact answer to the causes of the wind.
First of all, it should be understood that the closer the air is to the ground, the more pressure it receives. This is because the air above pushes the air below. Pressure at different locations and times of day will vary due to the way the sun’s energy is distributed and heated.
When the sun’s rays hit the earth, everything around it absorbs the energy and heats the surrounding air. Once the air on land warms up, it becomes lighter and will therefore tend to move upward. The air over the sea that now has a higher pressure will replace the displaced land air and will enter as wind. At night, the opposite will happen with warm sea air rising and air over land blowing in to replace it.
Obviously, the spherical shape, topography and vegetation of the Earth ensure that not all parts of the Earth will receive energy in the same way and amount. Therefore, there will be differences in air pressure in different places.
This is half the explanation of what causes the wind. The second part is related to the rotation of the Earth. As the world turns, the atmosphere will also turn. However, different air levels will also experience different effects from the rotation. Air high in the atmosphere is not affected as much as air below. It is this variation in the speed of air spin that causes them to coalesce, creating wind near the ground.
A concept related to the formation and rotation of the wind is the Coriolis force. As the Earth rotates, the air in the northern hemisphere moves to the right, while the air in the southern hemisphere moves to the left. This means that the flow from high pressure to low pressure is not direct. However, direct flow is possible under certain climatic conditions.
Wind speed will vary depending on certain conditions. However, normal daily winds are often regulated or limited in speed by friction with the ground surface.
Some people do not like windy days. The winds, however, are a necessary part of life on Earth. It is the movement of the wind that helps carry heat away from the Earth. You can imagine what life would be like without windy days.