The boundary between these two areas is called a front. Winds generally blow from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas. At the same time, cooler, denser air moves over Earth’s surface toward the Equator to replace the heated air. Warm equatorial air rises higher into the atmosphere and migrates toward the poles. At the Equator, the sun warms the water and land more than it does the rest of the globe. Landforms, processes, and impacts of wind are called Aeolian landforms, processes, and impacts.ĭifferences in atmospheric pressure generate winds.
It is the great equalizer of the atmosphere, transporting heat, moisture, pollutants, and dust great distances around the globe. It is strong enough to carry sailing ships across the ocean and rip huge trees from the ground. It can dry your clothes in summer and chill you to the bone in winter. It does not have much substance-you cannot see it or hold it-but you can feel its force. Wind is the movement of air caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun.