ABSTRACT
The primary causes of atmospheric air motion, or wind, are uneven heating of the Earth by solar
radiation and the Earth’s rotation. Differences in solar radiation absorption at the surface of the Earth
and transference back to the atmosphere create differences in atmospheric temperature, density, and
pressure, which in turn create forces that move air from one place to another. For example, land and
water along a coastline absorb radiation differently, and this is the dominant cause of the light winds
or breezes normally found along a coast. The Earth’s rotation gives rise to semipermanent global wind
patterns such as trade winds, westerlies, easterlies, and subtropical and polar jets.