ABOVE THE SURFACE , AND

VICE VERSA.

ISOBAR
What is Isobar?
An isobar is a line of equal or constant pressure on a graph, plot, or map; an
isopleths or contour line of pressure.
More accurately, isobars are lines drawn on a map joining places of equal
average atmospheric pressure reduced to sea level for a specified period of
time.
In meteorology, the barometric pressures shown are reduced to sea level, not
the surface pressures at the map locations.
The distribution of isobars is closely related to the magnitude and direction of
the wind field, and can be used to predict future weather patterns. Isobars are
commonly used in television weather reporting.

Isobars
lines of constant pressure
A line drawn on a weather map connecting points of equal pressure is called an isobar.

The isobars are generated from mean sea level pressure reports and the pressure values
are given in millibars.

 The diagram below depicts a pair of isobars. At every point along the top isobar, the

pressure is 996 mb and at every point along the bottom isobar the pressure is 1000
mb.

 Any point in between these two isobars will have a pressure somewhere between

996 mb and 1000 mb. Point A, for example, has a pressure of 998 mb and is
therefore located between the 996 mb isobar and the 1000 mb isobar.

WIND

WIND
What is Wind?
Wind is the movement of gas. On the surface of the Earth, wind consists of the bulk
movement of air.
In meteorology, winds are often referred to according to their strength, and the
direction from which the wind is blowing. Short bursts of high speed wind are termed
gusts. Strong winds of intermediate duration (around one minute) are termed squalls.
Long-duration winds have various names associated with their average strength, such
as breeze, gale, storm, and hurricane.
Wind occurs on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of
minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few
hours, to global winds resulting from the difference in absorption of
solar energy between the climate zones on Earth.

Types of Wind
1. Planetary Winds
2. Trade Winds
3. The Westerlies
4. Periodic Winds
a. Monsoon Winds
b. Land Breeze
c. Sea Breeze
d. Mountain and Valley Breezes
5. Local Winds

1. Planetary Winds:
The winds blowing throughout the year from one latitude to

another in response to latitudinal differences in air pressure are

called planetary or prevailing winds. They involve large areas
of the globe.

2. Trade Winds:
These are extremely steady winds blowing from sub-tropical high pressure

areas (30N and S) towards the equatorial low pressure belt. These winds
should have blown from the north to south in Northern Hemisphere and south
to north in Southern Hemisphere, but, they get deflected to the right in
Northern Hemisphere and to the left in Southern Hemisphere due to Coriolis
effect and Ferrels law. Thus, they blow as north eastern trades in Northern
Hemisphere and south eastern trades in Southern Hemisphere.
They are also known as tropical easterlies, and they blow steadily in the same

direction. They are noted for consistency in both force and direction.

3. The Westerlies:
These winds blow from sub tropical high pressure belts towards sub-polar low

pressure belts. The westerlies of Southern Hemisphere are more stronger and
constant in direction than Northern Hemisphere. These winds develop be
tween 40 and 65S latitudes and these latitudes are known as Roaring Forties,
Furious Fifties and Shrieking Sixties.

4. Periodic Winds:
Periodic winds change their direction periodically with the change in season,

e.g., Monsoons, Land and Sea Breezes, Mountain and Valley Breezes.
a. Monsoon Winds:
These winds are seasonal winds and refer to wind systems that have a
pronounced, seasonal reversal of direction. According to Flohn, monsoon is
a seasonal modification of general Planetary Wind System.
Summer monsoon is called South Westerly Wind and is characterized by
highly variable weather with frequent spells of drought and heavy rains. The
winter monsoon is a gentle drift of air in which winds blow from the northeast and is known as North Easterly Wind.

b. Land Breeze:
At night, land masses cool quicker than sea due to rapid radiation which
results in high pressure over land and low pressure over sea. And in calm,
cloudless weather, air blows from land to sea. This breeze carries no moisture
and is little warm and dry.
c. Sea Breeze:
In day time, the land being hotter than the sea develops low air pressure and
the sea being cool develops high pressure. The air over land rises and is
replaced by a cool breeze known as Sea Breeze from the sea, carrying some
moisture.
d. Mountain and Valley Breezes:
A diurnal wind occurs in mountainous regions which are similar to Land and
Sea Breezes. During the day the slopes of mountains are hot and air from
valley flows up the slopes. This is known as Valley Breeze. After sunset the
pattern is reversed and cold air slides from mountain to valley and is called
mountain breeze.

5. Local Winds:
The local difference in temperature and pressure causes local winds. It is of

four types: hot, cold, convectional and slope.

END