The direction of these winds changes with the change of seasons. Monsoon winds are the most important periodic winds.
Following are the types of winds:
Winds of the Monsoon
The term “monsoon” is derived from the Arabic word “Mausim,” which means “season.” Monsoon winds are winds that flip direction with the changing of seasons. Monsoon winds blow from sea to land in the summer and from land to sea in the winter.
MONSOON WIND:
- A monsoon wind is a seasonal wind found especially in Asia that reverses direction between summer and winter and often brings heavy rains.
- The Asiatic monsoon is the result of the interaction of both the planetary wind system and regional factors, both at the surface and in the upper troposphere.
LAND AND SEA BREEZE:
- The periodicity of land and sea breezes change according to day and night and these are winds of coastal regions.
- The land and sea absorb and transfer heat differently. During the day the land heats up faster and becomes warmer than the sea.
- Over the land, the air raises giving rise to a low-pressure area, whereas the sea is relatively cool and the pressure overseas is relatively high. Thus, a pressure gradient from sea to land is created and the wind blows from the sea to the land as the sea breeze.
- In the night the reversal of condition takes place. The land loses heat faster and is cooler than the sea. The pressure gradient is from the land to the sea and hence land breeze results.
VALLEY AND MOUNTAIN BREEZE:
- In mountains, during the day the slopes get heated up and air moves upwards and the air from the valley blows up the valley to fill the resulting gap. This wind is known as the valley breeze.
- During the night the slopes get cooled and the dense air descends into the valley as the mountain wind. The cool air from mountains draining into the valley is called katabatic wind.
- Another type of warm wind occurs on the leeward side of the mountain ranges. The moisture in the wind, while crossing the mountain ranges condenses and precipitates. When it descends the leeward side of the slope the dry air gets warmed up by the adiabatic process. This dry air may melt the snow in a short time.
Periodic Winds and Its Effects,Periodic Winds and Its Effects
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