Dr. Universe explains how wind moves

Washington State University's resident feline scientist, Dr. Universe, answers a breezy question from Elijah, 10, of North Carolina: How does the wind move?

With help from WSU atmospheric scientist Jun Meng, Dr. Universe explains that wind is air moving from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. Those pressure differences form because the sun heats Earth's surface unevenly, causing warm air to rise and cooler, denser air to sink.

Readers also learn how pressure differences affect wind speed, why Earth's rotation curves the wind's path and how sea and land breezes change between day and night.

They'll also discover the important work wind does around the planet, from moving heat and moisture to carrying seeds, pollen and even phosphorus-rich dust from the Sahara Desert to the Amazon rainforest.

Ask Dr. Universe is a science education project from WSU that answers real questions from curious kids around the world. Readers and listeners can submit their own questions and explore more columns, videos and the Ask Dr. Universe podcast online.