Global wind belts and the jet stream

Grade 9 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   A globe with three loops in each hemisphere.

2. 1.

   In the Hadley cell, what does air do near 30°, by Bo's reading (NOAA)?

   • It joins the jet stream down at the ground
   • It rises, forming storms
   • It sinks, forming a high-pressure belt
   • It stops moving
3. 2.

   In the Ferrel cell, which way does surface air flow, by Esme's reading (NOAA)?

   • Toward the equator and westward, as the trades
   • Out from the poles as easterlies
   • Poleward and eastward, as the westerlies
   • Straight up at 30°
4. 3.

   Over the poles, air in the polar cell sinks. What surface winds result, by Jun's reading (NOAA)?

   • Trade winds from the northeast
   • No winds, since the air is still
   • Westerlies blowing from the equator toward the poles
   • Polar easterlies blowing out from the polar highs
5. 4.

   A wavy jet stream high above the surface. NOAA: Earth's surface moves east at over 1,000 mph at the equator and 0 at the poles. Why does air moving poleward turn east, by Kira's reading?

   • The wind pushes it west
   • The Sun pulls it east
   • It keeps its eastward speed while the ground below slows
   • The ground below it speeds up

6. Use this

   A wind arrow with a speed and a time beside it.

7. 5.

   NOAA: jet streams can exceed 275 mph (442 km/h). At 442 km/h, how far does air travel in 3 hours, by Luz's math?

   • About 147 km
   • About 13,260 km
   • About 1,326 km
   • About 442 km
8. 6.

   NOAA: jet streams run 4 to 8 miles up. Using 1 mile = 1.609 km, about what heights is that, by Milo's math?

   • About 64.4 to 128.7 km
   • About 6.4 to 12.9 km
   • About 2.5 to 5 km
   • About 4 to 8 km
9. 7.

   Surface arrows for trades, westerlies and polar easterlies. Going from the equator to 60° N, which pattern fits NOAA's wind belts, by Noah's reading?

   • Trades from the west, then the easterlies
   • A low at 30°, then the trades
   • Westerlies, a high at the equator, then the trades
   • Rising air at the equator, northeast trades, a high near 30°, then westerlies

10. Use this

    A wavy jet stream high above the surface.

11. 8.

    Where are the polar and subtropical jets, by Tala's reading (NOAA)?

    • Both at the poles
    • Polar near 50° to 60°; subtropical near 30°
    • Both over the equator
    • Polar near 30° N; subtropical near 60° N, over Canada
12. 9.

    When are jet streams strongest, by Zee's reading (NOAA)?

    • In winter, when warm-cold contrasts are greatest
    • In spring, as plants grow
    • In summer, when it is hottest
    • They stay equal through the year
13. 10.

    NOAA: the jet stream follows the Sun. Where is the polar jet typically found in Northern Hemisphere summer, by Ari's reading?

    • Farther north, near the U.S.-Canadian border
    • Over the equator
    • Over the South Pole
    • In the same place as in winter