Global wind belts and the jet stream
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.
A globe with three loops in each hemisphere. A classmate says air rises at the equator and sinks at the poles in one big loop. Which reply fits NOAA, by Esme's reading?
- No; Earth's rotation splits each hemisphere into three cells
- Correct; rotation has no effect on how air moves around the globe
- Correct; there is one cell per hemisphere
- No; there are ten cells
A wavy jet stream high above the surface. A student says the jet stream blows from east to west near the ground. Which reply fits NOAA, by Jun's reading?
- Correct; it is a surface easterly
- No; it blows north to south down at the ground
- No; it blows west to east about 30,000 feet up
- Correct; it is the trade wind
Read this first
Use this
A wind arrow with a speed and a time beside it.
A plane rides a 200 km/h jet-stream tailwind for 4 hours (example data). How much farther does it go than in still air, by Luz's math?
- About 50 km
- About 8,000 km
- About 204 km
- About 800 km
NOAA: Earth's surface moves east at over 1,600 km/h at the equator. How far is that in 24 hours, by Milo's math?
- More than 38,400 km, about once around Earth
- About 66 km
- About 1,600 km
- About 384,000 km
A jet stream moves 300 km/h (example data). How long would it take to carry air 4,500 km, by Noah's math?
- About 15 hours
- About 1,350,000 hours
- About 150 hours
- About 0.07 hours
Four evidence cards, labeled A to D. Which evidence best supports a high-pressure belt near 30°, by Pia's reading (NOAA)?
- Trade winds blow from the west there
- The polar jet sits at 30°
- Many deserts lie near 30° N and S
- Rain forests line the 30° belt
Use this
A wavy jet stream high above the surface.
A weather balloon over 45° N finds winds of 250 km/h from the west at 9 km (model data). What has it most likely found, by Ren's reading?
- The trade winds
- A jet stream
- A westerly breeze at the surface
- The polar easterlies
Model data: a polar jet's average latitude moves from 40° N in winter to 50° N in summer. What explains it, by Tala's reading (NOAA)?
- It follows the Sun, shifting poleward as the Sun climbs higher
- It moves toward the equator in summer
- Ocean currents push it north
- It reverses direction each season
Which summary of jet streams fits NOAA, by Ari's reading?
- Ocean currents running 30,000 feet deep
- Wide east-to-west surface winds, strongest in summer
- Narrow west-to-east winds near 30,000 feet, strongest in winter
- Narrow west-to-east winds that stay fixed in one spot each year
Which summary of why air turns east as it moves poleward fits NOAA, by Bo's reading?
- Winds blow from high to low with no turning
- Earth's surface speeds up toward the poles
- Air turns west as it moves poleward
- It keeps its eastward momentum as Earth's surface slows toward the poles

