Atmospheric Pressure and Winds

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Atmospheric pressure is the force exerted against a surface by the continuous collision of gas molecules. Air has weight, so the atmosphere presses on everything on Earth.

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They cannot be seen directly, but they strongly affect weather. They influence temperature and humidity and help move heat and moisture from one place to another.

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Pressure = Density × Temperature. Pressure is proportional to both density and temperature of air.

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Pressure gradient is the decrease of pressure between two points along a line perpendicular to isobars divided by the distance between the points. It is important because wind speed depends on it: the…

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Isobars are imaginary lines on a map joining places with equal mean atmospheric pressure reduced to sea level. Closely spaced isobars show a steep pressure gradient, while wide spacing shows a weak gr…

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Air pressure decreases as altitude increases. On average, pressure decreases by about 34 millibars for every 300 metres of altitude because air becomes thinner at higher levels.

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Temperature is inversely proportional to pressure. When air is heated, it expands and rises, creating low pressure. When air is cold, it becomes denser and pressure increases.

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Atmospheric pressure depends mainly on altitude, temperature, and Earth rotation.