Katabatic wind

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/katabatic-wind

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the fundamental driving force?Gravitational acceleration of cold, dense air masses downslope
2. What is the primary causative factor?Radiative cooling leading to increased air density relative to ambient air
3. Why do katabatic winds happen at night?At night the air over cold places cools, becomes heavier, and gravity pulls it down the slope.
4. Where do the strongest katabatic winds usually occur?They are strongest in polar areas like Antarctica and Greenland, and in steep valleys or fjords.

Radiative Cooling: The process by which surfaces lose heat to their surroundings through thermal radiation.
Adiabatic Warming: The warming of a parcel of air as it descends and is compressed by increasing atmospheric pressure.
Topography: The arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features of an area.