Ask A Scientist© Environmental Science Archive

Author:     kward
Wind - What makes the wind?

Response #: 1 of 2
Author:     woodford
Text:       The wind is a fluid current set up by differing areas of pressure. 
More simply, if there exists a high pressure area in the atmosphere and there 
is a neighboring low pressure area, air will flow between the two to try and 
equalize the pressures. The air flow is what we call wind. This is a very 
simplified explanation, but it works in a similar manner for liquids except 
that it is density driven instead of pressure driven.

Response #: 2 of 2
Author:     Mark Fernau
Text:       To follow on the last response, high air pressure just means there 
are more molecules of air (02,N2,etc.) piled up there than in an area of low 
pressure. Thus the molecules "flow down hill" to the area of low pressure. You 
feel it as wind because molecules have mass so if enough of them bump into 
you, you feel it. The low pressure and high pressure areas usually form from 
differential heating. Hot air expands and rises and molecules flow away from 
it to colder areas and collect there.