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Oh, hi everyone! I was just talking to Squeaks about the big trip he’s taking with Jessi.
Are you all packed yet?
Oh, I see. You’re nervous because you’ve never flown on an airplane before.
Squeaks says he’s been learning all about flying and airplanes.
I think that’s a great idea!
Once you learn about how something works, it can be a whole lot less scary!
You know, it’s a really blustery day outside,
and that gives me an idea for another part of flying we can learn about!
Birds and planes fly through the air,
and when we can feel air moving around, we call it…
That’s right, the wind!
In fact, some of you wanted to learn about it too.
Seven year old Max recently asked,
“Where does wind come from?”
Thank you, Max! That’s a great question. Wind is moving air. Air is all around us.
When air gets hot, it goes up, or rises.
And when that happens, cooler air rushes in to take its place.
That rushing air is wind!
So any time air is getting hot or cold, there’s probably going to be some wind!
As temperatures around the Earth rise and fall from day to night and season to
season, they can create big patterns of wind, or winds that often do the same thing.
We can look at a map of the Earth to see how they move across the whole planet.
There’s maps of all kinds of things, including wind.
We can’t see wind, but we can still make pictures of the patterns it creates.
Let me show you an example of a wind pattern.
This wind pattern is called the jet stream.
It happens over the whole continent of North America, where we live.
It’s so strong it even affects airplanes sometimes.
An airplane that is flying west to east, this way,
might actually make the trip faster, because it’s flying in the same direction
as the jet stream wind is blowing.
The jet stream wind is pushing the plane.
Yes, a lot like you push a friend on a swing.
A plane flying east to west, the other way, might go a little slower
because it’s flying against the jet stream.
So the wind is pushing against the plane.
Wind can happen on a small scale too, like in your neighborhood.
You’ve probably felt wind before when you’ve played outside.
Those winds are happening on a smaller scale than wind patterns
like the jet stream, but it’s the same idea.
When one bit of air moves, more races in to replace it.
And when there is a lot of air moving around,
it can get pretty blustery, just like today at the Fort! ~
Weather scientists, called meteorologists, help predict, or guess,
how much wind there will be in a certain area.
People can then make plans around those predictions.
For example, pilots can track the big wind patterns
and the smaller winds wherever they are flying to and from.
Well, you’re right, airplanes can be pushed around by the wind.
That’s why pilots and other people who work
with airplanes have to pay lots of attention to what the wind is doing.
Like knowing if they will fly faster or slower because of the jet stream.
Wind can also affect the Earth in other ways.
Mountains and forests change the path that the wind can take,
but really strong winds can knock down trees or other tall things.
Wind also has a big impact on the shape of the land.
Over a very long time, wind can even break down mountains!
It’s true!
As it blows, wind can pull off small pieces of rocks or dirt
and carry them away, bit by bit.
Over millions of years, mountains and canyons
get worn down and transform in big ways.
Water wears away the land too, with rain and rivers.
This is called erosion.
It may not look like much at first.
But over time it can transform the land.
Erosion can make all kinds of cool shapes, like sand dunes or yardangs.
See how the wind has carved away the soft outer layers
and left behind the harder rock.
I think it kind of looks like a shark fin poking out of the sand.
What do you think? Yes Squeaks! I see that too!
Wind is pretty amazing.
It can change the shape of the land, move around clouds with rain in them,
and even help us get where we are going faster!
Best of all, I think Squeaks is feeling a little better, aren’t you?
Thanks for helping Squeaks learn more about wind today,
and watching this episode of SciShow Kids.
You can ask a grown up to help send questions to us.
They can get started at patreon.com/scishowkids.
And thank you for joining us here at the Fort!
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