Asked by d
is statement this correct wind always blow from areas of low pressure to high pressure
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Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
No — that statement is backwards.
What actually happens:
- The pressure‑gradient force pushes air from high pressure toward low pressure. So the basic tendency is for winds to move from high to low pressure.
- The Coriolis effect (Earth’s rotation) deflects moving air to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, so winds rarely flow straight from high to low. Aloft, where friction is small, the deflection balances the pressure‑gradient force and winds flow roughly parallel to isobars (geostrophic wind).
- Near the surface, friction reduces the Coriolis deflection, so winds cross isobars and have a component from high toward low pressure (inflow into lows, outflow from highs).
So correct short version: winds are driven from high toward low pressure, but rotation and friction usually make the flow deviate from a straight line.
What actually happens:
- The pressure‑gradient force pushes air from high pressure toward low pressure. So the basic tendency is for winds to move from high to low pressure.
- The Coriolis effect (Earth’s rotation) deflects moving air to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere, so winds rarely flow straight from high to low. Aloft, where friction is small, the deflection balances the pressure‑gradient force and winds flow roughly parallel to isobars (geostrophic wind).
- Near the surface, friction reduces the Coriolis deflection, so winds cross isobars and have a component from high toward low pressure (inflow into lows, outflow from highs).
So correct short version: winds are driven from high toward low pressure, but rotation and friction usually make the flow deviate from a straight line.
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