Global wind patterns arise from uneven heating of the Earth's surface by the sun, combined with the Coriolis effect (Earth's rotation deflecting moving air). This produces broad global wind belts — the Trade Winds, Westerlies, and Polar Easterlies — along with pressure belts like the Equatorial Low and Subtropical High.
Monsoons are seasonal wind reversals driven mainly by differential heating between land and sea. The Indian monsoon is influenced by the seasonal shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the Tibetan Plateau's heating effect, and pressure differences between the Indian Ocean and the Asian landmass.
The most widely used system, the Köppen Climate Classification, groups climates into major types (Tropical, Dry, Temperate, Continental, Polar) based on temperature and precipitation patterns, further subdivided based on seasonal variation.
Download this topic's notes as a PDF, or search uploaded materials.
