What generates weather and climate patterns on Earth?

1 Answer
Dec 9, 2016

Difference in temperatures and humidity around the Earth!

Explanation:

Different areas of Earth get different amounts of sunlight, therefore they get different amounts of radiation and heat. This causes air currents, and the hot air tries to move to the cold air. This is what causes weather.

Our atmosphere basically becomes a heat engine. High and low pressure areas, wind, clouds, and precipitation systems are all caused, either directly or indirectly, by this uneven heating and the resulting heat redistribution processes.

This is all dependent on the availability of water. If the air is very dry the change of temperature will not result in changes to weather. Temperatures that would create a hurricane over the ocean do almost nothing over the Sahara desert.