🔍 Key Concepts

• pressure gradient in meteorology and oceanography • relationship between pressure change and distance • difference between horizontal and vertical pressure changes

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: when forecasters talk about a “tight pressure gradient” causing strong winds, are they usually talking about changes as you move from place to place, or changes over time at one point? • Think about weather maps with isobars (lines of equal pressure): what does the spacing between those lines represent? • Which choice describes a measurable change that is directly linked to wind strength on a chart or map?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify whether gradient usually means change per unit distance or change per unit time in basic science terminology. • Check which option clearly involves a difference in pressure AND a spatial separation between two points. • Eliminate any choice that describes just a type of pressure area (like “high pressure”) instead of a rate of change.