Page 134 - Science Course 1 (Book 2)

Mo9-L5b: What are the Main Wind Belts on Earth?

Let’s Begin Located near the top of the troposphere is a narrow
band of high winds called the jet stream.

Global Wind Belts Jet streams inf uence weather as they move cold air
from the poles toward the tropics and warm air from
the tropics toward the poles.
The trade winds are steady winds that f ow from east
to west between 30°N latitude and 30°S latitudes.

The prevailing westerlies are steady winds that f ow
from west to east between latitudes 30°N and 60°N,
and 30°S and 60°S.

The polar easterlies are cold winds that blow from the
east to the west near the North Pole and the South
Pole.

Polar easterlies

Local Winds
Westerlies
Local winds occur whenever air pressure is different
from one location to another.
Trade winds

Trade winds

Westerlies

Polar easterlies
Key Concept A sea breeze is wind that blows from the sea to

What are the Main Wind Belts on Earth? the land due to local temperature and pressure
differences.
What are the main wind belts on Earth?

A land breeze is a wind that blows from the land to
the sea due to local temperature and pressure
differences.

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