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.