Global winds are large air currents that circle the Earth and move air masses across long distances. They include the jet stream over North America, which flows from west to east between warm and cold air masses, and eight major wind types defined by their direction and location. Pictures show the global circulation patterns including the Hadley cells where air rises at the equator and sinks at 30 degrees latitude while rotating east or west.

1. Global
Winds

2. •Global Winds are air currents
that surround the earth.
•They move large air masses
over great distances.
•An example is the Jet
Stream, which moves across
North America from west to
east.

3. THE JET STREAM
CHANGES ITS SHAPE
OFTEN, DEPENDING ON
THE WARM AND COLD
AIR MASSES OVER
NORTH AMERICA, BUT
THE AIR CURRENTS
ALWAYS FLOW FROM
WEST TO EAST – FROM
THE PACIFIC OCEAN TO
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.

4. There are 8 Global Winds
Northeast Trade Winds
Southeast Trade Winds
Prevailing Easterlies
Prevailing Westerlies
Polar Westerlies
Jet Stream
Horse Latitude
Doldrums

5. Let’s take a closer look
at the Global Winds

7. Pictures of the
Global Winds

8. Look closely at the blue and red arrows in the “Hadley Cells”.
The air turns like a screw as it moves east or west.