Rising warm air
Warm air rises and cool air rushes in.
A hot patch of land
The sun heats one patch of land. The warm moist air above it is lighter.
What does the warm, light air do?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Heated, moist air is lighter and rises, creating low pressure; cooler air from surrounding higher-pressure areas flows in, is heated and rises in turn, giving a continuous wind circulation.
A hot patch of land
The sun heats one patch of land. The warm moist air above it is lighter.
What does the warm, light air do?
- It rises
- It sinks
- It stays still
Follow the air
Press Next step. Each step adds to the picture.
A continuous circulation
Warm moist air rises and leaves a low pressure area. Cooler air from the nearby high pressure areas flows in. That air is heated and rises too. This repeats and gives a continuous wind circulation.
Warm air rises, making a low pressure area. Cooler air flows in from higher pressure areas, is heated, and rises: a continuous wind circulation.
Notes
Warm air rises, cool air flows in, is heated and rises: a continuous circulation.
Check yourself
Warm, moist air is lighter, so it …
When warm air rises, it leaves behind a …
What takes the place of the rising air?
The cool air that flows in is then heated and rises. This results in a …
- sinks. Warm air is lighter, so it rises.
- rises — correct. Yes!
- stays on the ground. Warm air is lighter, so it rises.
- high pressure area. Rising air leaves a low pressure area.
- pressure that is exactly zero. It leaves a low pressure area.
- low pressure area — correct. Yes!
- Cooler air from nearby higher pressure areas — correct. Yes!
- Smoke. Cooler air from the surrounding higher pressure areas takes its place.
- Nothing, the place stays empty. Cool air flows in from higher pressure areas.
- single gust of wind. This repeats again and again, giving a continuous circulation.
- continuous wind circulation — correct. Yes!
- calm day. A continuous wind circulation goes on.