tuulevoolu

Tuulevoolu, often translated as wind current or air current, refers to the movement of air in the Earth's atmosphere. This movement is primarily driven by differences in air pressure, which are in turn caused by uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the sun. Warmer air is less dense and rises, creating areas of lower pressure, while cooler air is denser and sinks, leading to areas of higher pressure. Air naturally flows from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas, creating wind.

The Earth's rotation, known as the Coriolis effect, also significantly influences the direction of these wind currents, causing them to deflect. On a global scale, these pressure differences and the Coriolis effect create large, persistent wind patterns known as prevailing winds, such as the trade winds, westerlies, and polar easterlies.

On a smaller scale, localized winds can be generated by more immediate temperature differences, such as sea breezes and land breezes, or by topographical features like mountains, which can channel or block airflow, leading to phenomena like valley winds and mountain winds. Tuulevoolu plays a crucial role in weather systems, influencing temperature distribution, precipitation patterns, and the transport of moisture and pollutants across the globe.