Wind direction is driven by...

Wind direction is driven by...

• A. Pressure differences
• B. Coriolis effect alone
• C. Earth's rotation alone
• D. Temperature gradients only

Answer: (A)

Wind direction is driven by differences in atmospheric pressure, the pressure-gradient force. Air moves from high pressure toward low pressure, setting the wind in motion. The Coriolis effect, due to Earth’s rotation, doesn’t create the wind but deflects its path, shaping how it travels (to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, to the left in the Southern Hemisphere). Near the surface, friction slows the wind and causes it to cross pressure contours toward lower pressure. Temperature gradients matter because they help establish those pressure differences, but they aren’t the direct driver of wind direction on their own.

Wind direction is driven by differences in atmospheric pressure, the pressure-gradient force. Air moves from high pressure toward low pressure, setting the wind in motion. The Coriolis effect, due to Earth’s rotation, doesn’t create the wind but deflects its path, shaping how it travels (to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, to the left in the Southern Hemisphere). Near the surface, friction slows the wind and causes it to cross pressure contours toward lower pressure. Temperature gradients matter because they help establish those pressure differences, but they aren’t the direct driver of wind direction on their own.