PencilGo

Grade 9 · Science · Earth and Space Science

9th grade Global wind belts and the jet stream worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

Version
Print

Global wind belts and the jet stream

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Read this first

    Use this

    A globe with three loops in each hemisphere.

  2. Which cell covers the tropics, with air rising near the equator, by Bo's reading (NOAA)?

    • The Hadley cell
    • The polar cell
    • The Ferrel cell
    • The jet cell

  3. Which cell is the smallest and weakest, by Kira's reading (NOAA)?

    • The Hadley cell
    • They are equal in size
    • The polar cell
    • The Ferrel cell

  4. Use this

    Surface arrows for trades, westerlies and polar easterlies.

  5. From which direction do the Northern Hemisphere trade winds blow, by Jun's reading (NOAA)?

    • From the northwest
    • From due west
    • From the southwest
    • From the northeast

  6. Which way do the westerlies blow in the middle latitudes, by Luz's reading (NOAA)?

    • From west to east
    • Straight down
    • Straight north
    • From east to west

  7. Use this

    Bands of H and L on a globe.

  8. Where do the trade winds of both hemispheres meet in a band of rising air and clouds, by Milo's reading (NOAA)?

    • At 60° N
    • At the Intertropical Convergence Zone, near the equator
    • At the poles
    • At 30° N and S

  9. Where are the belts of high pressure, by Noah's reading (NOAA)?

    • At the equator
    • At 50° to 60° N and S
    • Near 30° N and S, and at the poles
    • Spread evenly everywhere

  10. What weather goes with the low-pressure band near 50° to 60°, by Ren's reading (NOAA)?

    • Clear, dry desert weather on most days
    • No clouds year-round
    • More storms and precipitation
    • Calm doldrums

  11. Use this

    A wavy jet stream high above the surface.

  12. What is a jet stream, by Tala's reading (NOAA)?

    • A warm ocean current
    • A breeze along the coast at ground level
    • Rising air at the equator
    • A narrow band of strong wind high in the atmosphere

  13. Which way do jet-stream winds blow, by Zee's reading (NOAA)?

    • From west to east
    • Straight up
    • From east to west
    • From north to south

  14. About how high are jet streams, by Esme's reading (NOAA)?

    • About 30,000 feet (9,100 m)
    • About 300 miles above the ground
    • About 300 feet
    • At ground level
PencilGopencilgo.com

9th grade Global wind belts and the jet stream worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

About this worksheet

Explain global wind belts and the jet stream. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can name the Hadley, Ferrel and polar cells and the wind belts they make: trades, westerlies and polar easterlies.
  • I can place the pressure belts (highs near 30° and the poles; lows at the equator and 50° to 60°) and link them to deserts and storms.
  • I can describe jet streams (narrow west-to-east winds near 30,000 feet, strongest in winter) and explain why air turns east as it moves poleward.

Standard: none (TX)

Words to know

Hadley cell: The tropical loop, rising at the equator and sinking near 30°

Ferrel cell: The middle-latitude loop with westerlies at the surface

polar cell: The small loop that sinks at the poles

trade winds: Steady easterly winds in the tropics

jet stream: A narrow band of strong west-to-east wind high up

Common mistakes

Your child mixed up the circulation cells. NOAA: three cells in each hemisphere; the Hadley cell in the tropics, the Ferrel cell in the middle latitudes and the small polar cell near the poles.

Your child turned a wind belt the wrong way. NOAA: northeast trades in the north's tropics, westerlies in the middle latitudes, easterlies near the poles.

Your child swapped the pressure belts. NOAA: highs near 30° and at the poles bring fair, dry weather; lows near the equator and 50° to 60° bring rain and storms.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with global wind belts and the jet stream?

Your child mixed up the circulation cells. NOAA: three cells in each hemisphere; the Hadley cell in the tropics, the Ferrel cell in the middle latitudes and the small polar cell near the poles.

Are these 9th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More earth and space science

See all Earth and Space Science

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records

Ready for easier practice?

Print a sheet, scan it when it’s done, and PencilGo picks the next one.

Create a free account