Solar heating of the earth’s surface is uneven because land heats faster than water and surfaces that are perpendicular to the sun’s ray path heat faster than those at an angle. This differential heating is passed on to the air above by conduction which causes air expansion and changes in pressure. Wind is the result of pressure changes in the atmosphere. Any shoreline is a wind machine, because of solar heating effects.
Visualizing Atmospheric Pressure & Winds--Carleton
Atmosphere: Composition & Structure
Radiation & the Diurnal Cycle--Texas A&M
Effects of Clouds and Moisture on the Diurnal Cycle-Texas A&M
Physical Geography pages:
Intro to the Atmosphere: Pressure
Introduction to the Atmosphere: Local & Regional Patterns
Global Surface Temperature Distribution
Energy and Matter: Energy, Temp & Heat
Energy and Matter: Nature of Radiation
Energy and Matter: Earth-Sun Geometry
Energy and Matter: Earth-Sun Relationships
