All about wind and where it comes from

[Diamond_Dog]

And no it’s not from Washington DC

https://www.sciencealert.com/where-we-get-wind-from-may-blow-you-away

The short answer is wind happens because the Sun heats some parts of the planet more than others, and this uneven heating starts a wind going. That means wind energy is really a kind of solar energy!

[Ocelot II]

1. Isn't that common knowledge, like from middle-school science class?

I vaguely remember an old film about the weather made by Bell Labs that talked about this. Saw it in 6th or 7th grade ages ago.

[SCantiGOP]

2. Hurricane winds

Are merely a result of differing air pressures. The pressure is low in the center, so the air around it rushes to “fall” into the center. That difference can produce wind up to 200 mph.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. Offhand I would imagine the earths rotation has some effect on wind

Even if it's not the instigating factor for the phenomenon.

But yeah, all the energy we use on earth originated as solar energy apart from nuclear power and geothermal.

[Ocelot II]

4. That's the Coriolis effect.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

6. Like you said, middle-school science class ;) (nt)