pressure gradient
Atmospheric change driver
A pressure gradient is the rate at which atmospheric or fluid pressure changes over distance.
Air flows from high to low pressure, and the steeper the gradient, the faster the flow—which is why tightly packed isobars on a weather map indicate strong winds.
The concept extends to any system where pressure differences drive movement: blood vessels, ocean currents, respiratory airways.
Equal-pressure contour lines
- barometerInstrument gauging atmospheric pressure
- cycloneRotating low-pressure storm system
- anticycloneHigh-pressure weather system
- weather mapAtmospheric conditions chart
synoptic · front · trough · ridge · convergence · divergence · jet stream · anemometer
Unbroken forward movement
- BernoulliMathematician behind lift theory
- viscosityFluid's flow resistance
- laminarArranged in thin layers
- turbulentViolently agitated or disturbed
streamline · hydrodynamics · hydraulics · pump · nozzle · drag · lift · buoyancy
Directed rate of motion
- accelerationRate velocity changes
- momentumProduct of mass, velocity
- vectorQuantity with direction
- forceStrength or compulsion
differential · convection · advection · streamflow · inertia · motion · displacement · flux
isobars
Equal-pressure contour lines
- barometerInstrument gauging atmospheric pressure
- cycloneRotating low-pressure storm system
- anticycloneHigh-pressure weather system
weather map · synoptic · front · trough · ridge · convergence · divergence · jet stream · anemometer · barometric
flow
Unbroken forward movement
- BernoulliMathematician behind lift theory
- viscosityFluid's flow resistance
- laminarArranged in thin layers
turbulent · streamline · hydrodynamics · hydraulics · pump · nozzle · drag · lift · buoyancy · capillary action
velocity
Directed rate of motion
- accelerationRate velocity changes
- momentumProduct of mass, velocity
- vectorQuantity with direction
force · differential · convection · advection · streamflow · inertia · motion · displacement · flux · transport
- meteorologyweather, rain, wind, snow, clouds
- atmospheric pressurebarometer, barograph, mercury barometer, millibars, millibar
- gradientsgradation, fade, blend, smooth transition, color fade
- CFDfluid flow, turbulent flow, laminar flow, boundary conditions, incompressible flow
- petroleum engineeringoil recovery, permeability, porosity, drilling, horizontal drilling
- petroleum geologypetroleum, crude oil, hydrocarbon, oil field, source rock
pressure, depressed, impressive, impression, impressed, expressive, expressed, compress, gradient